Trust in a Maze of Fear
by a-salty-tol
Summary: AU. Life as an orphan is difficult in the city, especially when you've got an unwanted guest tagging along. Now, Linebeck, one of the many young orphans on the streets, has to deal with his new companion, Link, and survive in a city made up of a web of alleyways and risky main streets, as things get more complicated due to interference from other orphans and city officials.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: Before we start- a quick note about a few things I want to clear up about this fic._**

 ** _It mostly will have Phantom Hourglass characters, with a few characters from other games. (Mainly Wind Waker.)_**

 ** _This is rated T mostly for language and blood/violence. Mostly language in the beginning and violence later on, so just keep that in mind._**

 ** _Bellum and Zelda are listed in the character list, but neither are mentioned until chapter five and become more important after that, just making a note of that._**

 ** _Other than that, there's not much to put in this author's note._**

 ** _Hope you enjoy!_**

* * *

Somewhere in the distance, thunder boomed, muting the pouring rain for a few moments. The kids' feet splashed puddle water nearly a foot away when they stepped in it, not lingering for a second as they sprinted through the alleyways. Other orphans shrank back against the walls as the kids ran past. A group of rather tough kids chasing a thin, lanky boy through the alleyways wasn't seen every day, but they knew the drill. Stay out of the way and let the stronger kids beat up the weaklings and degenerates. It was harsh, but everyone was out for themselves unless they were taking care of a sibling.

The group of jerks behind the lanky kid really didn't help his nerves. Those bunch of jackasses basically ran the place, ruling how much food the orphans get, somehow managing to rule viciously in their small area. He was just passing through, a nomad compared to this population of orphans in the city's streets. Wouldn't kill them to let him dig through some trash to get some damn food, right? Granted, they let him do that until he stole from them. Now they were chasing him, shouting things like 'schizo' or 'klepto', and a few times he heard 'beanpole'. Not that creative or harsh, but it worked.

He turned a sharp corner, quickening his pace. He was clearly faster than the kids chasing him. A few more turns and he could duck into a makeshift shelter. It was getting late anyways. Almost slipping in a puddle, the adrenaline pumping energy into his tired legs, he turned another sharp corner and slid into one of the sticks and blanket shelters. There was a red winter scarf bundled up in a corner, and he gathered it up, wrapping it around his neck and pulling it over his mouth and nose. If he was lucky, they'd chalk him up as some random orphan.

They sprinted past, not even glancing down at him. He let out a heavy sigh as they turned another corner. Sitting up against the wall, he took off the scarf and looked it over. It was nice, and warm. Worth keeping. Went well with his oversized coat, would keep him comfortable in the colder days. Wrapping it back around his neck, he checked his shoes, worn-out boots that he'd soon have to toss out in exchange for new ones.

Those kids calling him names- 'klepto' and 'beanpole' made sense, but 'schizo'? Did they even know what that meant? Why call some random twelve-year-old boy schizophrenic for stealing your shit? He lost it in the chase, anyways. Well, he did mutter to himself and stared into space often, but, really? Curling up to keep warm, he surveyed the alleyway. There were two other kids in the area, two girls, clearly sisters by the way they were cuddled up. An hour passed, and he didn't get any sleep. Screw it. He got to his feet and started to head down the alley.

Humming quietly to himself, the rain having calmed down, he thought about random things, what he'd do to get through the next day. He quit his humming after less than a minute, hearing something out of place. Well, not really out of place, but concerning.

Someone was crying- another kid. He'd heard that a few times, passing through more populated areas. Younger siblings or lonely kids. He never liked it, tried to get out of the vicinity as fast as he could whenever he heard it. It was nearby, sorta surprising he didn't hear it before now. Glancing around, he saw it. Some little boy, curled up under one of those shelters, bawling. Looked to be about five, what was he doing out here?

Curious and a bit saddened, he crouched near the boy, not too close, but close enough that the kid would see him when he looked up. The kid sobbed for a bit, and eventually stopped, hiccupping and rubbing at his eyes. He looked up, whimpering, and noticed the older kid watching him. There was a moment of silence, and he crawled over to the older. "H-hi..." He sat in front of him, and asked, "Wh-where am I? I-I want to see my sister a-and my grandma..."

Feeling a pang in his heart, the taller boy gently patted him on his head. His yellow hair was soft, though damp. "I... I'm sure you do. Where are they?"

The boy sniffled and shook his head, looking up at the other kid. "I don't know... They-they got s-sick... and some people showed up... A-and they went missing... I-I don't know where they are..." The kid sniffled again and hugged the newly met orphan. He flinched slightly but let him hug him. Goddesses, this kid's mentioned family- from what he said, they seemed to have died from a sickness... not uncommon. Most kids in the slums had their parents or family die from sickness. This kid clearly didn't know that.

"U-uh... I can take you to some people that can help you. D-do you want me to do that?"

He wasn't just going to leave this kid. Sure, he tended to focus mostly on his own well-being, but he's not just going to let this poor kid die out here. It would weigh on his conscious if he heard that this kid died. Might as well take him to a place that can take care of him and help him understand his situation. It wouldn't be too strange for the kid to refuse, though. Trust was something hard to gain, even harder when you were a homeless urchin living off the streets. Standing up, the kid still clinging to him, he asked, "Would you be willing to come with me to somewhere?"

He pried the kid off, and the kid stepped back, still sniffling but making better eye contact. "Y-yeah... thanks... what's your name?" The kid stepped back towards the taller again, holding his small hand out tentatively. "I-I m Link."

Rubbing the back of his neck, he glanced down at Link. "Uh, yeah. I'm Linebeck. So, uh, I can get you to the place in about a day, though we can rest a few times." Tugging on Link's hand gently as a half-hearted handshake, Linebeck started to walk down the alleyway. "C'mon, we should get going."


	2. Chapter 2

The sky was clearer, and there were a few more people out on the streets. They'd been walking for the rest of the night, and now that it was morning, Link wanted to stop and rest. He tugged on Linebeck's hand as they walked out from the alleyways to the main street. "Can we stop? I want to rest."

A few people gave the young orphans strange looks, but since they were common, no one lingered too much. Once out of the slums, the city got a bit better in terms of quality, and the closer you got to the middle, the nicer the homes and alleyways. The library was around the outside edge of the city if he remembered correctly. Linebeck glanced around, looking for the right way to go. Link tugged on his hand again. "Can we please take a break? I'm hungry. We've been walking for hours."

Linebeck glanced down at him, fighting off a scowl. "You can wait, ok? You can rest once we get to the library."

"Why are we going to a library?"

"I know some people there; they can help you out."

Link huffed, but continued to follow the older boy, clinging to his sleeve. He glanced nervously around, and asked, "Why the library, though? You have friends there?"

"Yeah, I guess. Like I said, they can help you out. Plus, they're friendlier to urchins."

Friends was a relative term. Yeah, he was fine with one of them, the other three were annoying. Patronizing. He hated pity. Who cared if he was homeless? He survived, and pity was not needed. Reaching up to fix his scarf, walking briskly down the street, Linebeck glanced at Link for a moment. He was healthy, his clothes in good condition. A green long-sleeve shirt, what looked like light gray sweatpants, good-condition shoes. He might even look good in a beanie, providing they could find one. Not that it mattered. He was just going to drop the kid off with the guys at the library and let them handle the situation.

Link tugged on his sleeve again. Linebeck sighed. He was starting to get tired of Link bothering him every few minutes. "What, what do you want?"

The kid stared at him with what he'd call half-hearted puppy eyes, a curious gleam in his blue eyes. "Do you live on the streets? What about all of those other kids?"

Linebeck nodded. "Yeah, they all live on the streets. I do too. We're mostly used to it unless they're new to the streets. It's because we're either homeless and family-less or running from abusive homes. We're a weird community, one part can be hostile and controlling, another welcoming and well-run. Most sections are usually run by adults that used to be urchins as kids and decided to stay in the alleyways."

Link nodded and didn't say a word until they reached the library. It was a large white building, the steps leading up to it elevating the building about ten feet. It'd be safe in a flood, for certain. Linebeck led Link up the stairs and waved at a few of the orphans sitting just outside. It doubled as a shelter for some of the homeless kids, letting them stay outside and offering food every few days. Shoving open the glass doors, he shot a glance at the papers pinned up on the corkboard. A lot of them were missing posters for kids, the were pinned up so if any orphans saw them, they could either return to the family that missed them, or just tear it down as a way of saying 'I don't care'.

Linebeck pushed open the door into the actual library, a warm, large room of bookshelves, tables, beanbags, and the one check-out desk. A few doors led into the kitchen, offices, and other rooms. Glancing over at the check-out desk with his fingers crossed, he sighed in relief at the sight of the red-haired young man. "Hey, Leaf." He walked over, Link staring around.

Leaf glanced up and smiled. "Oh, hey, Linebeck. How've you been? What's with the new kid here? Showing him around the library?"

Linebeck shook his head, glancing away from Leaf. "No, not really. I'm trying to help out Link here. Where's the old man?"

"Oh, Oshus? He's on break right now, though you can find my sisters around if you need them."

"No, I don't want to talk to Neri or Ciela. I want to talk to the old man. It's important."

Link tugged on Linebeck's sleeve and whispered, "This is so cool."

Linebeck tugged his sleeve away from the younger boy. "Tell the old man to find me when he comes back. I'll be reading somewhere." He stormed off, not in the mood to start an argument with Leaf. Link trailed after him, and asked, "I saw the sign outside; we can get food here?"

Linebeck waved Link away. "Go stay with Leaf. I'm going to read." He pulled a random book out of the nearest shelf and sat down, starting to read. Link settled next to him, reading over his shoulder.

They got rather far into the book when a quiet voice asked, "Are you enjoying it? I like that one." They both glanced up at the blue-haired woman, in the middle of putting some books away. "Who's this, Linebeck? I don't think I've seen him before."

"Just some kid, says his name is Link. I need to talk to the old man about him, so I'm waiting until he comes back," He glanced at Link. "She's Neri. She can be a bit nosey."

Link smiled up at Neri and said pleasantly, "Nice to meet you!"

The young woman smiled and glanced at Linebeck. "He's nicer than you. Ciela would like him as well. I'll tell you when Oshus comes back."

Linebeck scowled and looked down at his book. Link got up and looked at the books on the shelves. "I didn't read too much with my grandma and my sister. I left after they disappeared to find them..." He sniffed. Goddesses, he was going to cry again. "They probably miss me a lot. I miss them!"

He sniffed again and walked back to his seat next to Linebeck. They read in silence for a bit more, the older boy peering at the entrance a few times. Link glanced up and waved at someone. "Hi! I haven't met you yet."

Lifting his head and immediately reacting with a foul-tempered growl, Linebeck felt the urge to flip off the yellow-haired library assistant. "Oh, hi, I don't think I've met you before. What's your name? Why are you with _him_?" She shot Linebeck a nasty glare, and he responded by sticking his tongue out at her.

Link smiled. "He said that someone here could help me. I'm Link!"

Smiling in response, she brightly said, "I'm Ciela. Nice to meet you. You two are waiting for Grandpa, right? Like the others said, just wait. He'll be back soon. Do you want any food, Link? You look hungry."

The boy nodded brightly, and asked, "Do you guys have rolls? Like, tasty bread? Sorta sweet? Can I have three of them?"

Ciela nodded and walked off. Link turned to Linebeck. "Why does she hate you?"

"I hate her."

"Yeah, but why?"

"She's annoying and I hate her. We argue a lot."

"Ok. I like her."

Linebeck gave Link a momentary glance of mixed emotions. "Ok."

A few minutes passed, and Ciela returned with the rolls. She placed them on the table in front of Link and glanced at the entrance. "Oh, Oshus is back. I'll get him for you." She walked off, and both orphans stared at the food. Link had probably eaten the day before, whereas Linebeck hadn't had much luck for the past two days aside from a couple crumbs. Link pulled two of the three rolls towards him and nudged the third over to Linebeck. "You can have that one." Linebeck poked it, putting the book down. He picked it up and took a bite, then wolfed it down before Link started on his.

Link stared at him and slowly placed a second roll in front of him. "I think you need this more than I do." Linebeck didn't even look at Link, he just ate the second roll silently while Link bit into his. Oshus walked over, and Ceila trailed after. "So, this is Link. Linebeck said he wanted to help him out by bringing him to you. Yeah, so, Linebeck what did you need?"

Oshus sat across from the two kids, placing his staff leaning against the table. He glanced at Link, stroking his beard. "Hello, Link. I take it you've never been here?" Link shook his head and pointed at Linebeck. "No. He said that you guys can help me find my family."

The old man turned to face Linebeck curiously, and the boy squirmed under his gaze. "Uh... I think it's better if I tell you without him listening."

Nodding, Oshus turned back to Link. "Why don't you look around and find a book you like? Ciela can help you." Link nodded happily and got up, following Ciela into the maze of bookshelves. Oshus looked back at Linebeck. "What is it?"

Linebeck shifted uncomfortably before speaking. "Well, when I found him, he said he was looking for his sister and his grandmother. He apparently left after they both got sick, and some people went over and took them away. I-I think they died, and the people took them away because of that, but Link doesn't understand that and thinks they left him behind."

Peering tentatively up at Oshus, Linebeck fiddled with his scarf. "So... uh... yeah. Can you just work out a way to tell him his family is dead and that he's pretty much going to be living on the streets?" He held Oshus's gaze for a few moments before looking away. Eventually, the old man sighed. "I'll do that. But he'll decide on how he'll be living."

"U-uh, ok. Thanks."

He got out of his chair and glanced around. "I guess I'll wait around here for a bit... I'll leave when you're done." Oshus nodded and called over Link and Ciela, and walked into one of the empty offices with the orphan and the young woman. Linebeck rubbed the back of his head and walked back over to the check-out desk. He crossed his arms on the table and looked up at Leaf. "Got any good book recommendations? I might be here for a bit."

Leaf shrugged and shook his head. "I usually only cover this desk; try asking Neri. She spends more time with the books than I do." Linebeck sighed and walked away. Neri was usually reading books or putting them away, he could find her among the bookshelves. She wasn't hard to find, and Linebeck asked her for some book recommendations. She had nothing that interested him, and he ended up slumping in one of the beanbags. A few orphans wandered in and waved at him, at one point an actual family came in and talked with Leaf for a bit. After a few minutes, the teen turned on his side and stared at the door.

There were no windows so he couldn't see inside. On the streets and in the alleyways, people living on the ground level often tossed out their trash into the alleys. Orphans would watch stealthily though the windows to check for food or clothing. A few times, they'd go right in and steal things. Linebeck often did that. Hence some urchins calling him 'klepto'. Of course, he didn't have kleptomania, but to some of the witnesses to his rather frequent thefts, it seemed like he did. The name became more common when he was around ten, and he soon became more known in the entire slum community. Kinda weird to him to become famous after being on the streets for only two years, but, then again, some of the gangs had only been on for about one year.

What if that kid- Link- didn't want to go out on the streets? There was no way he could stay in the library, but he seemed too pacifist to last on the streets. Linebeck had survived four years because of his stealing habit and his tendency to stab someone over something. He always tended to keep a knife on hand but lost his last one when being chased last night. Shit. Hopefully he'd find a new one soon. He was taught that fighting would help him survive better in the city. He didn't live by that, but it helped. Right, right. Link. He didn t really care what happened to him, but he'd feel a bit better if he knew at least how things worked. Linebeck had already taught him that.

Time seemed to pass faster while he focused on twiddling his thumbs. Oshus, Ciela and Link left the room after about thirty minutes, the kid sniffling, but seeming to be taking the news overall well. Ciela and Link sat at a nearby table and Linebeck got up when Oshus walked over. "He's... dealing with it better than I thought. He probably unconsciously believed they were dead in the first place. However, I want you to stay here until he leaves."

Linebeck nodded and stared at Ciela and Link. They were talking quietly. Nothing he needed to be a part of. Letting himself fall back onto the beanbag, he silently watched the two yellow-haired hylains talk quietly. They glanced at and gestured towards Linebeck a few times, but he thought nothing of it. Eventually they stood up and Link wandered over to Linebeck. "What do you want? Shouldn't you be leaving now or soon or something?"

"I want to stay with you."

Linebeck opened his mouth to respond, then closed it, slightly stunned. Stay with him? Was this kid insane? If Link tagged along with Linebeck on the streets, it would mean they would need double the resources, and from what he'd seen, the kid had better morals. He'd have to patch him up if he got hurt, and he'd weigh him down. The more Linebeck thought about it, the less eager he was to let Link stick with him. Sitting up, he stared at Oshus. "No-"

"Yes."

"What?!" Linebeck pointed at Link. "Seriously? He's just going to weigh me down! I'll have to scavenge for more! There's nothing good about this!" Link looked a bit disappointed. Linebeck glared at him, and Oshus snapped, "I want you to take care of him. You were the person to find him, to bring him here to help him. You're the first urchin he met, he might as well stay with you. Besides, I get the feeling he'll stick to you like glue no matter how hard you try to get rid of him."

Linebeck got to his feet, almost knocking Link over. "No, no, no! But-"

"Don't even start! I've noticed you have no actual bonds with any of the other orphans, and certainly no one here. Would it kill you to bring Link along?"

"Yes, actually!"

Oshus sighed. "Just... give him a week. Teach him about the streets, how to get food and supplies. If he wants to stay with you, let him. He can be helpful with those rowdy gangs at the least. End of conversation."

Linebck scowled at Link, who smiled hopefully. "Fine. Come on, if you're going to come with me, don't lag behind." He stomped out of the library, ignoring Leaf's friendly good-bye wave, not glancing back to see if Link was following. Once in the street, Link jogged up next to him and took his hand. Linebeck tried to jerk his hand out of Link's grip, to no avail. He let out a long exhale and walked into the nearest alleyway. "First off, let's find you a hat. You'll deal with winter better with a hat."

Link peered up at the teen. "You don't have a hat."

"No, I have a coat, and this new scarf. I'm also wearing two shirts; a long sleeve and a short sleeve. What do you have on you right now?"

"Uh... my long sleeve and this shirt over it. And these sweatpants. That's it. Oh, yeah, my shoes. Yeah, I want a hat."

Linebeck nodded and peered at a pile of clothes in a corner of an alleyway. "That's the waste from a tailor's shop. I usually check around here every once in a while, if I need new clothes or I owe someone. Go ahead and dig through it. He shoved Link towards the pile and sat down near it. Link got on his knees and started going through it before peering at Linebeck. Why's your hair weird like that?"

"...What?"

"Y'know, with the little tuft on top. It's cute! And your hair's kinda long in the back. Why's it like that? Do you like it like that?"

Linebeck crossed his arms and huffed. "First off, it's not _cute_ , and I can't do anything about it. As for the length of my hair, I've never wanted to cut it. I've got a question, while you dig through that. How old are you, exactly? I'm twelve."

Link went back to the pile of clothes, shoving aside a few pairs of large jeans. "Um, I m five. I learned to read when I was, I think, four." He pulled out a lime green beanie and tugged it on his head. Turning to Linebeck, he asked, "What do you think?"

Linebeck shrugged and got to his feet. "It'll work. Let's find a place to stay for the night and get an idea of the area. C'mon." He walked around the corner, Link following quickly. They passed a kid in rags, and Link glanced down at him. "Should we give him some clothes?"

Linebeck shook his head. "No, leave him. He'll find them on his own."

A few birds flew away from a mouse carcass, and Link wrinkled his nose at it and looked up at Linebeck. "Was that stealing? Taking from that pile?"

The teen nodded, tugging the younger boy along. "Technically, yes, but I've survived this long by stealing and shanking bitches."

"Shanking- you stab people?"

A grim, humorless smile tugged at Linebeck's lips. "Yep. I usually keep a knife nearby so I can defend myself, hunt, or get supplies. I lost my last one, so I need a new one."

Link glanced away and pointed ahead of them. "Look, isn't that a little shelter? He was pointing at a shelter similar to the one Linebeck was in last night, just a tad bit smaller. It would fit the two of them, but it wouldn't be comfortable.

"Yeah, that could work. We might as well scavenge for things once we set this up..."

They ran over, Link sitting in the shelter, while Linebeck searched the surrounding alleyways, finding not much besides a severed mouse tail. A group of orphans sprinted through the alley, almost knocking him over. Someone living on the ground floor threw out their garbage, and the two orphans scampered over, digging through it. Linebeck shoved Link away upon finding a half-eaten apple, clawing off a part for Link. He tossed it at him. They ate in the shelter, Linebeck taking chances and eating the core. It started to rain lightly further into the day, and they didn't speak as orphans and adults passed through.


	3. Chapter 3

Linebeck peered into the bucket and kicked it over after finding out it was empty. He whipped around and shouted, "You find anything, Link?"

Link put down his own bucket and shook his head. "Nothing. No food or anything. What time do you think it is?"

Linebeck looked up at the sky and shrugged. "I can't tell, it might be out of view. I'd see the sun better on the rooftops."

Link nodded, the young orphan pulling his beanie over his ears, and asked, "Do you have a map of the slums? I want to be able to see a lot of it."

Linebeck shook his head, walking past Link, out onto the main street. "No, but if I get some paper and a pencil, I can make one."

Link ran up to his side and asked, excited, "Really? How?"

Down the large, inclined miles-long main street, there was a castle, and a very, very tall tower next to it. Linebeck pointed at the tower. "Everyone is allowed up there. You can see a perfect view of the city from up there. Like I said, give me paper and a pencil, and I can draw us up a map from that tower."

"Really?! Well, where can we get those things?"

Linebeck shrugged, and said, "I know there's a small urchin market, a few of them might sell paper and pencils in good condition. They're about a mile from where we are now, though. Want to go there?"

Link nodded vigorously and took Linebeck's hand. "Yes! Uh, what direction do we go in?"

"It's right on the outskirts, so let's head down the street and go from there." He tugged on Link's arm, and they sauntered down the road. There was a slight incline, since the whole city was on a giant hill. That was a reason why one could see the entire city from the tower; it was all going downhill, literally. Well, that was the reason as far as Linebeck knew. The outskirts were run by the orphan community, and therefore fell into a place where only those willing to be charitable lived. Link tugged on Linebeck's sleeve. "Uh... do we need money to buy things in that marketplace?"

"Oh, shit. Um... I forgot about that. But! I have a solution!" He exclaimed, smiling at Link. "There's a fountain in about half a mile where people throw rupees in to make wishes come true. We can take some when no one is looking. But that's only if there's money to take."

Link pulled on Linebeck's sleeve again and whispered, "But what about those people that threw them in? Wouldn't they be sad if we take them?"

"Yeah, but they won't know. We'll be all sneaky!"

Link giggled for a moment and stared at a group of orphans watching them. "Who're they?" He asked, moving to point at them. Linebeck hissed at him not to point, and whispered, "Those guys are just a bunch of bullies. They wander around, mugging people and attacking orphans. If you just ignore them, they'll go away."

Link stared at them for a moment longer, taking in their individual features. It was a group of about seven kids, three of them looking rather short and wiry and another three looking larger. The only girl in the group had an air of authority: perhaps she was the leader. They each had a knife, and eventually walked off when the two orphans turned a corner. They encountered almost no one else for a couple minutes before turning another corner. Link stared up at Linebeck, then at the area they just walked into. It was brighter, the bricks around the area painted dandelion yellow with flowering ivy creeping up the walls. Benches were circled around a circular fountain, a statue of a woman with a pitcher spilling out the fountain water on top of a pedestal. "It's so pretty!" Link declared, hopping up and down.

Linebeck pried his arm away from Link and sat on a bench. "Go ahead, check the fountain for some money."

Looking between the lanky teen and the fountain, Link asked, "What do you mean?"

"Jump in and collect some rupees if there are any in there. Just don't get me wet. You need to get used to getting yourself dirty to get things. I come here often to check for money to buy meals or materials. A pity that I have a hard time carrying a lot. It also really only gets this full about monthly. Other kids steal from it a lot. We're just lucky right now."

Placing his hands on the side of the fountain, he peeked into the water. Lots of rupees glittered at the bottom, mixes of greens, blues, and a few reds. Dunking a hand in, he picked out all the reds he could reach. He left them in a wet pile on the ground before collecting them in his beanie, holding it out to Linebeck. "Is this enough?"

With a low laugh, Linebeck sat up and picked out one of the rupees, brushing some water off it. "It's more than enough, thanks, kid. Let's keep going, don't lose that hat." He stood, and they continued down the long stretch road.

They walked for a few minutes, and Link's belly growled. He crossed his arms around his stomach. "Uh... are you hungry?"

Linebeck shook his head. He was silent for a moment, then said, "I've gotten used to going a day or two without too much food. It'll take you time, but you'll get used to it too."

Link's stomach grumbled again, and he whined, "Can't we stop at one of these restaurants around here? We've got the money now."

Linebeck shook his head. "No. Check out those signs in front of them."

They got a good look at the next one as they passed. It was a small, smooth sign, and in simple text, it stated 'No urchins allowed'. Every restaurant they passed had the same sign. "Are all restaurants like this?"

"No, a few small joints further out cater to orphans. This long main road is the least urchin-friendly place. I really only come here to go to that fountain, and the library is along here. It's also good for gathering my bearings if I get lost." Linebeck pointed down the street at the wall circling the city. "The orphan-run marketplace should be along that wall, we just need to walk far enough."

Link nodded and peered up at Linebeck, holding his beanie close to his chest. "How long have you lived like this?" He seemed to know how the urchin community worked, he must've been living on the streets for years now.

Linebeck just rubbed the back of his neck and responded, "About... four years. Yeah. I've been here for four years. People have started to know me by my looks since I've become low-key famous for stealing a lot while people watched."

A group of orphans sprinted past them loudly. Link nodded slowly. "Only four years? I thought you've been out here for most of your life... What are the winters like? It's, what, October, right? Doesn't it get really cold?"

"Yeah, it gets really cold. Lots of kids die from freezing and hypothermia. I usually stick around the library and head inside when it gets too cold. And, since I recently got this coat, I can last a bit longer. Your beanie can keep your head warm."

Link clung to Linebeck's sleeve again. "Uh, what's the marketplace like? Are the kids there nice?"

"Depends on who you're talking to. Let's just get there."

It was late in the afternoon when they finally made it to the wall. It was much farther away than they thought. Link stared up at the meters tall concrete wall, and asked, "Why's the wall here?"

Linebeck shrugged, peering up at the top. "It's to keep out monsters, and it's used as a protective wall against attacks. Apparently, some other cities are kinda hostile to us since we've got a pretty good production of metals. It's also since Zelda, this city's leader, wants the people to be safe, and there are checkpoints around it for merchants and travelers."

"Oh." Link started to jog along the wall. "Well, let's find the marketplace before it gets dark." Linebeck nodded and started to walk in front of him. "Don't. You're going to get lost if I don't show you the way. You don't know anything about the streets yet."

He led the boy along the wall, climbing over a few fences and waiting for Link to follow. The kid's stomach growled again, and Linebeck sighed. "We can try and find something to eat, that's getting really annoying. Wait here." Leaving Link sitting at a bush, Linebeck slunk along the outside wall of a nearby home. It was small, near the wall, so it was poor. These kinds of homes were usually easy to steal from, though.

A window was carelessly open, and Linebeck got in through that, landing feet-first on the tile floor silently. It was a kitchen. Perfect. The door to the rest of the home was closed, but he'd still need to be quick. He sneaked over to a cabinet and opened it, cringing at the little squeak of the hinges. Nothing but plates and cups. The cabinet next to it was spices and empty space. The third cabinet, however, had a basket of bread in it. Linebeck took out a few pieces of bread, putting them in his pockets and closing the cabinets. That would be enough.

He experimentally opened one of the drawers. It was all forks, spoons, and knives. Oh, knives. Good. Linebeck carefully took out one of the sharper knives and slid it in his pocket with the bread. Closing the drawer, he cautiously climbed back out the window and found Link again. "I found some bread," He whispered, handing Link some of it. "And a knife. So, that's good."

Link nodded and ripped off a bit of his bread, and they ate in silence for a few minutes. Link pointed to the last bit of bread in Linebeck's pocket. "Are you going to eat that one?" Linebeck shook his head and looked over the knife he took. "Some merchants trade using food, not money. I'll take it just in case." He got to his feet and swung the knife around and jabbed at the air. "Yeah, this will work out just fine." He peered down at Link. "Do you want a knife? Or something to fight with?"

Link shook his head. "I don't want to fight anyone."

Linebeck shrugged and put the knife away, in a pocket on the inside of his coat. "Have it your way. Not my fault if you die because you refuse to fight." They both continued down the wall path. Link jogged ahead a few times and waved at a puppy wandering around. Soon enough, they reached a long, wider path, with larger shelters set up against the large wall and homes. Long, dirty carpets we spread out in front of each shelter, items lined up. There were more orphans gathered there than the total amount Link saw along the main road. Older kids were either trading or buying, talking with the kids in the shelters, handing over rupees and items. Younger kids were running around, shouting and giggling, a few groups playing tag or crowding around stray animals.

Link smiled widely and tugged on Linebeck's sleeve, looking up at him. "It's so cool! It's-it's like a mini town for orphans!"

Grimacing, Linebeck shook his head. "Well, the people here might look happy and carefree, but this is technically illegal. No one here had permits to sell. Whenever members of authority make their rounds, the goods are hidden. There are groups of scouts that alert this place if people are coming near. If they were to be caught, most of the kids here would be arrested." He pointed over at a large building, a carpet hanging over the entrance. "Some kids live in that. It's an old tavern and inn, but it's filled up. It's used as a refuge for kids trying to hide, since most normal people don't come down here. A few adult former orphans got the kitchen up and running a few years before I started living on the streets. They'll cater to kids for free, but they are always in need of materials."

Link nodded almost disjointedly and pointed at one of the nearby merchants. "They sell paper and pencils, look." Linebeck walked over and crouched down. The kid selling them looked half-asleep, her arms crossed and her chin on her chest.

"Uh... are you awake?" Linebeck asked, gesturing for Link to toss him the beanie full of money.

Link sat next to him and stared at the girl. "Is she alive?"

Linebeck shrugged and rubbed at his eyes. Link stared at the small shadows under his eyes, and his gaze snapped to the girl, who let out a small groan. "Oh... hi..." She looked up and yawned. "Sorry, I dozed off... you guys want paper and pencil?"

Link nodded, and asked, "Can we just have one of each?"

She nodded, and mumbled, "You guys got any food? That's my price... my little brother and I need food."

Linebeck tossed her the bread and gave Link an 'I-told-you-so' look. He took a piece of paper and a pencil and walked off. Link followed, watching the girl pick up the bread and stare at it. She had a little brother, and she looked hungry herself. Link felt pity well up in his mind. He took a few red rupees from the beanie and ran back to her. "Please, take these. I hope you and your brother can get some food with this."

He dropped the five red rupees in front of her and ran back, facing an infuriated Linebeck. "Why did you do that?!"

Link stared back evenly. "I felt bad for her, she was so hungry, and I was worried about her brother."

Linebeck curled his lip and took the beanie out of Link's hands. "You wasted 100 rupees. She could've been lying about the brother, you naive little _shit_!"

Link flinched away slightly and mumbled, "Sorry... but I wanted to help her. We still have a lot left though!"

Linebeck sighed and muttered, "Fine. I want to try and look around a bit."

They wandered through the marketplace for a long while. Link chased a playful puppy around with a few other orphans while Linebeck talked with a group of older orphans selling assorted bags. The teen tugged Link along the path when he spotted a group of kittens cuddled around an older cat. It was the middle of the night by the time the two of them were done in the marketplace. Linebeck found a thin road into the apartment section, and the two of them went back into the city.

It was a denser area, the homes worn-down and close together. Most of them were multi-story, with ladders and stairs leading to the roof and other rooms from the outside. "This place is creepy," Link mumbled, looking around. "We're going to the tower, right?"

Linebeck nodded, sitting next to a nearly empty dumpster. "Yeah. We're going to go through the actual city part as opposed to the main road since it'll take us a few days either way, but we can find more food in the city. Let's rest for now."

Link nodded silently and sat next to Linebeck. He peered into his beanie. There were only a few rupees inside. "Can we buy breakfast tomorrow?"

Linebeck nodded. "Yeah, there's a pancake place around here that allows orphans." He pointed down a nearby alleyway. "Should be down that way. On the left. I've been a few times. You'd like it."

Link smiled faintly and pulled his knees up to his chest. "Okay." He glanced down at his feet in silence. Linebeck peered over at him and sighed to himself. Something was wrong, but if the kid didn't want to say anything, then he could deal with it himself. He was proving to be pretty useful. Maybe he'd be worth keeping around anyways. As long as he didn't try and be too nosy, however. Curiosity was warranted, bit if he tried to pry too deep, that was a line he didn't want him to cross.

Linebeck watched Link, curled up next to him. After some time, his breathing slowed, and he leaned against Linebeck a bit. Linebeck didn't move him.


	4. Chapter 4

It must've been around four in the morning when Link started to cry out in his sleep. Scared Linebeck into full consciousness at first. The kid jerked his head around a few times, clearly trapped in a nightmare. Linebeck shoved him off, and he woke up with a shock when he hit the ground. Link was breathing fast and sat up while hugging himself. With a slight scowl, Linebeck turned away from Link when he glanced back at him. "Nightmare, huh?" Linebeck drawled.

Link whimpered quietly. "Yeah."

Linebeck sighed and glanced at the younger boy. "You'll get used to them. It can get scary out here. What, with all the gangs running the place- this is a bad area like that."

Link peered at Linebeck again and got to his feet. "It's still pretty early. Did you sleep well? Did I wake you up?"

Linebeck got to his feet and stretched, shaking his head. "I didn't fall asleep in the first place. I tend to stay away sometimes, mostly because I don't want to get hurt in the middle of the night or anything. These shadows under my eyes showed up I think about two years ago." He scratched the back of his head and turned to Link. "We can get some food right now, y'know. That place I mentioned is open all the time."

Link smiled and tugged on Linebeck's hand. "Yay! Can you show me where it is? I'm hungry now."

He gave the gaunt teen his best puppy eyes, and Linebeck scowled. "Don't do that. Yeah, I'll show you how to get there. Come on." He led Link into one of the nearby alleyways and walked through. It was near silent, a few birds chirping in the distance. Eventually, they would hear talking in the alleys, and an open door along the alleyway had warm light shining through. "That's the place. There's a sign on the door that says, 'Orphans Allowed'. It's a pretty famous place, though it's small."

Link ran ahead of Linebeck, tugged him along by the arm. "Come on! I want to eat! Aren't you hungry, too?" Linebeck shrugged, and tugged Link back. "Slow down. Jeez..." He pried his arm out of Link's grip and shuffled over to the door. Opening it slightly, he let Link walk into the warm room first. Linebeck followed, shutting the door behind them. They were the only ones inside other than the two owners of the shop.

The first impression most people would get on the small shop would simply be yellow. The ceiling lights cast a warm yellow glow on the room, a few tables scattered around. Linebeck and Link sat at the table at the grimy window, the alleyway outside a messy blur. Over the counter, one of the shop owners waved at them. Link waved back, and asked Linebeck, "Who's that?"

"Last time I asked, his name was Orca. He runs this place with his brother. They're both former orphans, I met them when I started out on the streets. They were still on the streets at that point."

Link nodded and glanced back at Linebeck. "Who's in charge of this city?"

That question pulled a different response from Linebeck. He hesitated, shifted in his seat, and said, "I'll tell you who they are later. I mean, you've only been on the streets for three days now. I'm surprised by how quickly you've gotten used to it."

"I guess so..." Link muttered.

He glanced up as Orca walked over. "Hey, Linebeck. Nice to see that you brought a friend today. I trust that you're doing fine?"

Linebeck nodded, glancing around. "Is your brother around? Or is it too early?"

"It's too early. You guys want anything?"

Link sat up straight and pulled out a single red rupee from his hat. "I just want one pancake."

Orca glanced at Linebeck, who shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine." Orca nodded and took the rupee and left.

Link tilted his head at Linebeck. "You're not hungry? We still have some money left." He held out the hat to show him.

The teen shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I'm more used to going without food for longer times. Besides, we should save some of that money." Link pulled the beanie close to his chest and thought for a moment. There was the quiet tapping of small raindrops against the window. It had started to rain.

"How much do, like, small homes or places to live cost?"

Crossing his arms on the table with a sigh, Linebeck shrugged. "I dunno. I've never bothered to check, and, as far as I know, you need to be at least 18 years old to own a home, and former orphans are usually given a bit of help with getting housing. The people who run the city monitor that pretty closely, too." He peered across the counter, then back at Link. "The people who rule the city are really biased when it comes to orphans, really. Aside from Zelda, they all hate us."

Orca walked out from behind the counter and placed a plate with a pancake in front of Link. He walked off without a word, and Link poked at the food with a fork. "It looks good. You sure you don't want any?"

Linebeck shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Stop asking. I just want you to finish up quickly. I want to keep moving." Link nodded mutely, ripping off a piece of pancake and stuffing it in his mouth.

He swallowed before talking. "You really want to get to that tower, huh?"

Linebeck shrugged, rather grateful that the kid had the manners to not talk with his mouth full. "Yeah, well, I want to get the map over with. I might try and make two of them, actually, that piece of paper we got is pretty big. So, you can get a map, and I can have my own. We might reach that tower in about three days, so it'll be your sixth day with me when we reach it, and the next day you can have the map and leave me the hell alone now that you know how things work." He got no response from Link, who was mostly focusing on eating. With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair and waited until Link was done.

Link poked at his empty plate and looked up at Linebeck. "What do I do with this? Do I just leave it here or...?"

With a cross between another sigh and a growl, Linebeck muttered, "I usually leave it here, but that's up to you. I'm going to wait for you outside." He slid out of his chair, and lingered in the doorway, watching Link over his shoulder while the boy got out of his chair and placed the plate and fork on the counter. He glared at the back of Link's head and left the building before Link turned around.

Link followed him out a few seconds after and smiled up at Linebeck. "Ok, we can keep going. What time is it now?"

Linebeck shrugged and started heading down the alley. "I dunno. We might pass a home with a clock in it in a bit. Let's just keep going. I'm pretty sure this place is run by some older kids. Bunch of jackasses." He kicked a can angrily. It clattered loudly down the alleyway. Why was he so mad? He couldn't think of a good reason why.

Link jogged up to his side, keeping pace with him. "What are those older kids like?"

Linebeck shrugged. "I've seen them a few times. They're mean, usually picking on kids that try and scavenge around. They mostly run a few blocks around here." He glanced around anxiously. "I've never had to deal with them personally, but I don't want to run into them."

Link clutched his beanie tightly and declared, "Well, I think it'd be interesting to meet them." He peered up at Linebeck. "Is it easy to make friends like this? O-on the streets?"

Linebeck bit his lower lip. "I dunno, you tell me. You're so much goddamn friendlier than me, I saw you playing with those other kids in the marketplace. Seems like it'll be a walk in the park for you to make friends." He rubbed at the patch of skin under his ear before letting his arm fall to his side. "Not that it matters. You'll probably lose them when you get older. It's hard to maintain friends on the streets. So much could happen in a short amount of time. Especially in the winter."

Link was quiet, staring down at the ground now. Linebeck sighed and shoved him almost playfully. "Don't worry. You're nice and optimistic. Kids on the streets would be more comfortable around you, you'd help them feel more hopeful."

Looking more reassured, Link nodded. "Yeah. Thanks!" He paused and tilted his head to the side. "Do I make you feel more hopeful?"

"No," Linebeck said bluntly, "You don't. I tend to pay more attention to realistic outcomes and events. You are, uh, useful, though."

He expected a negative response from Link, but the little boy only beamed and hopped slightly. "Well, at least I'm useful! That's good for you! I like being helpful to you, it makes me happy to know that it's making you happy." Goddesses, Linebeck could already tell this kid was a little beam of sunshine. Bit odd for a kid who just lost his family and was condemned to living on the streets for the next decade and more of the life. But, whatever. Link jogged ahead of the teen, ignoring the light rain.

They explored the maze of alleyways and managed to put the time around six. "We were in there for an hour?" Link asked.

Linebeck groaned, and said, "No, we spent about twenty minutes. The rest of the time was spent waking you up and leaving and shit." As time wore on, more apartments opened their windows and turned on lights, so Linebeck checked every once in a while, for empty homes. He had no luck but Link alerted Linebeck when he spotted a cat wandering around. They passed an older orphan digging through a trashcan. He flinched away when Link and Linebeck passed, but he didn't speak. Link smiled at him, but he didn't notice or was ignoring them.

The two of them turned a corner and found themselves a few feet away from a trio of much older kids. They were still urchins, wearing old clothes, but they were among the older part of the population. The three of them smirked at the younger kids. "Hey... you two are new to this part, aren't you?"

Link backed up slowly, clinging to the beanie. Linebeck stepped back a bit, too, and reached in his coat, for the knife. One of the three kids slunk forward, focusing more on Linebeck than Link. Stumbling backwards a few more steps, Linebeck glared at the older kid. The two behind him sniggered as he grabbed Linebeck's coat collar. "Just gonna let you know, we run this part, got it? You wanna pass through, you give us something." He glanced over at Link. "You too, pipsqueak." Link shuffled closer to Linebeck, but kept his distance. The older, brutish kid glared back at Linebeck. "Right, then, what do you two got? Food? Money? Don't think I can't see you reaching for something. No bother shouting, either. The Warden's dogs don't come around here until a few hours from now."

Linebeck, shaking from fear, stared up evenly. The older kid frowned, looking Linebeck over. "You're trembling. You scared, twig?" Linebeck jerked away, fear showing more clearly in his green eyes. The three kids laughed. Tightening his grip on Linebeck's collar, the older boy growled, "What's wrong, scared we'll hurt you and your little friend here? What is he, your brother? You don't look too alike. Just a little leech." He scowled as Linebeck jerked away again, his face pale. "Wow, twig, you're jumpy. You wet yourself yet?"

He started to laugh again, and Linebeck spat in his face. Shocked for a moment, the brutish kid wiped off the spit and furiously snapped, "I think you need to learn to respect your elders, twerp!"

Linebeck boldly shot back, "I'd like to see you do something that lets you deserve that respect, asshole." Without wasting much time, he pulled his knife out and stabbed the older teen in the stomach. He screamed, letting go of Linebeck's collar, and stumbled back when the younger teen pulled the blade out of the wound and ran. Grabbing Link's hand, Linebeck breathlessly said, "Run, don't look back. They won't follow anyways." Link obeyed silently, sprinting away from the angry shouts and howls from the three teenagers.

Once he deemed they'd gotten far enough away, Linebeck collapsed against the wall and stared at his bloodied knife. Link wrinkled his nose at it. "Ew. Did you hurt him badly?"

Linebeck shrugged. "Dunno. I didn't hit an artery, I made sure of that, but that piece of shit might be out of commission for a few days." He glanced up at Link. "We should be fine here. They'll be too busy trying to stop the bleeding too follow us. We should keep moving in a bit, though. You've got all the money still, right?" Not bothering to check the lime green beanie, Link nodded. "Yeah, I made sure not to drop any." He sat down next to Linebeck. "You looked really scared."

Linebeck crossed his arms, letting the stained knife clatter to the ground. "I wasn't scared. Just a bit... surprised. They did catch us by surprise. I never get scared." He picked the knife back up and worked on wiping off the blood. Link watched him in silence as he cleaned off the knife and placed it back in his coat. They sat against the wall for some time, as a period of respite.


	5. Chapter 5

Linebeck tugged himself up the ladder, not bothering to take the time to check to see if Link was following. The rungs were a bit slick from rain, but he clung to the metal tightly. Clambering onto the roof of the apartment building, Linebeck collapsed, panting. A few moments later, Link appeared, and peered over the edge. "We lost them. I don't think they want to come up here."

Linebeck waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. We doubled back, though, they don't even know we went this way. We might as well stay up here for a bit, though."

Link nodded and stared up at the gray sky. "It's all cloudy. I don't like that. I like seeing the sun." He peered over at the teen. "It's been cloudy since leaving the marketplace, huh? How close are we to the tower now?"

Linebeck shrugged. "We've got another day to go. Good thing we lost those two."

Tugging his beanie over his ears, Link asked, "Who were those guys? They didn't look like orphans. We weren't even the only ones being chased. A bunch of other kids were running from those two guys with the dogs, too."

"They work with the Warden; they're generally called phantoms."

"The Warden? Who's that? Those kids from a few days ago mentioned them."

"He's not important right now," Linebeck muttered, "I'll tell you when we get to the tower. Or if we run into him. Hopefully the former. It'll be more important when we get an outline of the city. But those two weren't after us. One of those other kids tried to steal from them, and we got caught up in it. The people who end up getting employed to the Warden generally check around the city. They keep an eye on crimes, and arrest people they have warrants for. I think they also pick up dead bodies and notify the other leaders, or at least the Warden does that." Standing up and stretching, Linebeck pointed at the tower in the distance. "Come on, let's go."

The two of them made their way back down to the ground, and Link peeked around a nearby corner. "Can we look for some food?" He glanced back at Linebeck. "I'm getting hungry."

"Yeah, sure, I don't think we've eaten since yesterday morning." The two of them searched the alleyway, digging through trashcans and bags, and checking for empty homes. Link knocked on one of the closed doors. Linebeck whipped around and whisper-shouted, "What are you doing?"

Link waved him away and backed up as the door opened. Scowling, Linebeck turned back around and went back to digging around in the trash bag. Mostly peels or expired stuff, most organic food covered in fuzz. A few crumbs of bread were findable, but they were too close to some grimy water. Digging deeper and wincing, grossed out, Linebeck kicked the bag away after finding nothing. Link waltzed over and handed Linebeck some bread. "How in the hell-"

"I asked." Link murmured, looking his own bread over. "Seems like bread is common around here." He took a large bite out of his bread. "Lots of nice people."

Linebeck stared at his own bread, feeling stupid. A normal feeling. "I... never thought about trying that. I guess being pitied is like a fear of mine." He took a bite. "You ever had a pretzel before?" He asked Link, almost like an afterthought.

Link thought for a moment and shook his head. "No, what is that?"

"Well, it's like bread, but it has a weird but nice taste. I know a guy who sells some. There're also smaller, crunchier types, but they don't taste as good. Both types are salty though." Linebeck peered down at Link, who seemed fascinated. "They're cheap, too. We could probably get two with a red rupee. We've still got one or two left, right?" He answered his own question by checking one of the pockets in his coat. "Yeah, we've got two. One can be for our dinner, and the rest can be for some other food later on."

He finished his own bread. Link tugged on his sleeve. "Where's that guy that sells pretzels?"

Linebeck smiled slightly. "Your excitement is a bit of overreaction, but she's closer to the tower, so it's on the way." He started to walk down the alleyway, pulling Link along behind him. They trekked through the alleyways, ignoring sleeping urchins and wandering orphans. A pair of scrawny dogs sniffed at their heels at one point. Linebeck remained stiff, nervous, but Link eventually bent down and pet one of them. At least he didn't get bitten.

They walked into a larger clearing. A group of kids were running around, circling anxiously around a tall man in the middle. Linebeck almost walked into the group, then pulled Link behind a dumpster. On his tiptoes with his elbows on the lid, Linebeck peered over. Link peeked around the side. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

Linebeck glared at the man in the middle. He was laughing, a cruel, sadistic sound, the sound mixed with the clinking of the keys he was holding above his head. They were all similar aside from shape and color, all around a metal circle. He mockingly jangled them above his head, staring around at the group, backing up a few steps every few moments, the orphans crowding around him desperatly. "You want these, eh? You know some friends you could help out with these, huh? You want them? Grab them! Go ahead. Try it." The man's smile showed off a row of sharp, shark-like teeth. Link shuddered.

"You asked about the Warden earlier, right?" Linebeck glanced down at Link. "That's him."

The man laughed again, shoving back a kid who got too close. His eyes were wide with humor, multi-colored and unnatural. He wore a simple suit, brownish-yellow in color with the jacket open, the coattails reaching down to his knees. He wore simple gray pants, steel gauntlets and greaves- and odd addition to his clothing. He tossed the keys from one hand to another. Taking a moment to run a hand through his yellow hair, sticking out everywhere and bleeding to a color like black, he asked, "Are you guys really trying?"

Link let out a quiet whimper and asked, "What is he doing? What are those orphans doing? What are those keys to? Why does he look so... weird?"

"They go to all the cells in the prison," Linebeck explained grimly. "Most of those kids have friends that were caught stealing or mugging to survive and got locked up. The Warden likes to come around here and mock kids by giving them a chance to take the keys. No one ever gets them."

One older kid jumped up and got a grip on the key ring. He tried to tug it out of the Warden's hand, but the man held on tightly, the twisted smile faltering momentarily. He lashed out, raking his fingers across the kid's face. The ends of the gauntlet fingers were sharpened like claws. The orphan screamed and staggered back. Link gasped sharply. "That was mean!"

Linebeck grunted. "He's a cruel person to the orphans. He doesn't like them and enjoys being mean in general." In a quieter voice, he added, "That's not all he is, though, but that's all people like to focus on." He slipped slightly and clawed at the lid loudly. All of the orphans turned and saw the two of them. Even the Warden turned, and spotted Linebeck. He and the orphan locked gazes for a few moments.

The warden eventually sighed and put the keys on a clip on his belt. "It's been fun messing with you rats, but I've got work to do." He walked off with a flourished wave, and the group of orphans stared after him. Link noticed that he had a few pairs of handcuffs clipped to the back of his belt as the coattails swayed.

Link stared at Linebeck. "I don't want to have to run into him often. Can you tell me more about him?"

Linebeck nodded, walking out from behind the dumpster. "Yeah, yeah, let's just find that pretzel guy first. Come on." Link jogged up next to him and held his hand the rest of the way. Linebeck didn't try to pry him off.

They reached the pretzel stand in two hours. It was past noon at that point, and the two orphans found a spot for the night, but they probably wouldn't be able to keep it. The woman had a stand in the middle of a fountain clearing, a few kids and families passing through. Two men sat on one of the benches, hands clasped. Link and Linebeck ignored everyone in the square and walked up to the stand. The woman running it waved. "Hi, you're back! And with a friend, too. You guys got the money? Looks like you're going to buy."

Linebeck wordlessly pulled out a red rupee and slapped it on the counter. "We each want a pretzel. Warm, please. Like, really warm. Salty, too. Just not too salty." He and Link backed up while she took the money and got them their pretzels. Linebeck glanced around and pointed to a bench. "Go sit there. I'll get the food for you." Link nodded and obediently walked over and sat down. A few moments later, Linebeck sat down next to him, handing Link his warm pretzel. "It should be kinda hot but try and make it last. It's big but people tend to eat it quickly because it's really tasty. Y'know, she used to be an orphan, too. Told me about it a couple months ago. I dunno her name, though... how is it? Good?"

Link nodded and ripped off a small bit. He took a bite and smiled. "It's good. I like the salt on it. Thanks for buying this!"

Linebeck nodded, eating part of his own. They managed to make it last, watching people pass while they ate. The teen finished his first, Link exercising more restraint and only eating half. "Want me to tell you more about who rules this city, then?"

With a muffled 'yes' Link leaned in slightly. "Right, right. So, we met the Warden a bit earlier, but I'll just list everyone. Zelda rules this city from the castle, enforcing laws and being the masthead of the city. She has less power than you'd think. Aside from that, we've got the Warden; he's the only one who uses a name other than his own, and Ganondorf. It's just three people. All three of them have a bunch of rules, a couple of the most important being that they cannot have adopted kids, the next in their role would be next of kin or apprentices, and they're not allowed to wage war or attack without a unanimous vote."

Link handed Linebeck a small piece of his pretzel, but the teen refused it. "The city's judge is a guy named Ganondorf, he decides who goes to jail, and who's guilty after they're accused. He's not the most important, really. He's got a degree of power over the military, though, and keeps an eye on the economy and shit. Bellum is the Warden, and the city agrees that he's not human. He runs the prison and has power over the other half over the military. People are scared of him. I think his teeth are cool, personally."

Link shifted closer to Linebeck, finishing his food. "I think they're creepy. I don't really like sharp teeth. His eyes are scary, too."

With a stubborn huff, Linebeck crossed his arms. "Well, I think it's cool." He giggled as Link playfully shoved him.

"No, they're scary!" They ended up in a shoving match, battling over whether or not Bellum's teeth and eyes were scary. Link won when he nearly shoved Linebeck off the bench. "Oh, sorry!"

Linebeck laughed, readjusting himself. "It's fine, it's fine. Let's find that little shelter before someone else takes it. Otherwise, I dunno where we're going to stay for the night." He and Link left the square, the younger of the two waving at the pretzel seller. She waved back at the boy, and Linebeck tugged him into the alleyway. They found the shelter again, an older girl sitting in it. "Shit, we're going to need another one," Linebeck hissed, pulling Link along.

They passed multiple taken shelters, and eventually found a small, ragtag old shelter. Link and Linebeck huddled under it and spent the night in that alleyway. Linebeck remained awake for a long part of the night, letting Link lean against him while he slept. A few kids stumbled past, but most people didn't bother orphans in shelters. Link murmured in his sleep, nuzzling closer to Linebeck. The teen shifted away uncomfortably but refused to move out from under the shelter. It started to rain around midnight. Linebeck fell asleep near one in the morning. They remained undisturbed throughout the night.


	6. Chapter 6

In the distance, the two orphans heard a clocktower announce it was ten o'clock. The ten bongs woke the duo abruptly. Link yawned and tugged at his beanie, and Linebeck cursed under his breath. "Crap, I forgot that that thing only sounds at ten in the morning and at night. I'm going to assume you slept well, Link."

The kid nodded and stood up. "Let's keeping going. We've got two days of walking left, right?"

Linebeck nodded, pulling his coat back onto his shoulders. It had slipped down in the middle of the night. He stood up next to Link and glanced down both ends of the alleyway. "Shit, I forgot which way we need to go."

Link peered around and tugged on Linebeck's sleeve. "Maybe we can go in one of these buildings and get to the roofs that way. Then we can figure out where we are, and where we need to go!"

"Good idea, kid..." Linebeck muttered, and started to head down one end. "Let's check around here. I think I might've been here before. Well, I have, just not too often. C'mon, follow me." Link jogged after him, and Linebeck pushed open a heavy door. "I think this opens into a stairway, this should be an apartment building. Most of those buildings' stairs lead up to roof accesses." The door did lead to an apartment stairway, and the two kids sprinted up the stairs. A few of the apartment tenants gave them strange and suspicious looks as they passed but didn't interact.

Panting, Linebeck shoved open the door to the roof access, and the urchins stumbled onto the roof. Link collapsed onto his back, the metal door slamming behind him. "So... many... stairs..." He laughed slightly. "This is a... really tall... building."

Linebeck doubled over, hands on his knees, panting. "Well we... made it up here... I can see the... tower..." He fell to his knees and groaned loudly. "Goddesses, I've lived on the streets for four years. I can run from muggers for almost a mile, but stairs are what kills me."

Link giggled breathlessly and added humorously, "Don't die."

Catching their breath, the two of them sat at the edge of the building, arms crossed on the railing. Linebeck pointed at the tower. "About halfway up that is the clock. You see it?"

"Yeah, I see it. The whole thing sorta looks like a tree. Like, y'know, the top is a bit bigger than the bottom. But the bottom gets a bit bigger too." The boy squinted at the towner and tugged his beanie off. "Are there any forests in this city?"

Linebeck glanced at Link and tousled his hair. "Yeah, there's a big park. Your hair's all messy, but it's kinda fluffy."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Link protested, "It's messy because you're messing with it!" He jerked away and Linebeck laughed. Link pouted and glanced sidelong at Linebeck. "What about your hair? It's sorta messy, a bit long with that tuft." Link reached up and flicked that the mentioned tuft of hair.

Linebeck flinched away, scowling. "Don't. That bothers me." Link mumbled a genuine 'sorry' and pulled his hand away.

A group of birds flew up above. They were in a distinct vee shape, not a single bird flying out of formation. Link pointed up at them. "Do you think they live in the park that you said is in the city?"

Linebeck shrugged, laying on his back. He kicked his feet out, his heels hitting the side of the building. "Dunno. They could be from outside the city, passing over, could be from the city, coming back, or from outside, moving to the city. We might never know." He stared up at the sky, his hands in his coat pockets. "I wonder if we'll ever get a chance to explore outside the city. It'd be cool to be a bird, to be able to fly high, high above obstacles, nothing but the wind in your way."

Link nodded. "Flying would be cool. Aren't there Rito people in the city? Like bird people, with wings and stuff? I've heard about them."

"A few, but not too many. Same goes for Zora and Goron. Hylians mostly rule this city." Linebeck turned on his side, facing Link. "I haven't seen anyone else other than Hylians. I think only Hylian kids end up homeless. I wonder what it's like to grow up with your biological parents. Like, non-abusive."

Link shrugged. "I don't know. I grew up with my sister and grandma." He laid down as well, facing the older orphan. "What were your parents like? You said you became an orphan four years ago, right?"

Linebeck was silent. He shrugged, closing his eyes while he answered. "I... don't really remember. For some reason, I don't remember them too well. I know they weren't abusive though. A bunch of kids living on the streets are on the streets to escape abusive homes. They're usually the ones who linger close to the library, and the urchin-friendly shops." Sitting back up, he stretched. "I've actually liked having you around me these past few days. Wouldn't want you sticking around too long, though..."

He started to tug on his worn boots, and Link got to his own feet. "Well, I'd like to stick with you on the streets after this week," the little kid announced with determination.

Linebeck rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I didn't enjoy it _that_ much."

Link huffed and crossed his arms. "Well, I'm staying no matter what."

He bent down and tried to haul Linebeck to his feet, the teen eventually sighing and getting up. "Alright, let's keep going. The faster we get there, the faster we get a working map. It's be better if we had a bag, though."

They headed back down the stairs and argued over which way the tower was. Linebeck won, and they started heading through the alleyways again. They avoided actual streets, like usual, and stopped for a bit to eat a few chunks of tossed-out steak. It was still warm. Link complained about the taste but Linebeck didn't say anything- he just shot Link a nasty look that shut him up. They passed by a kid being mugged, and quickly left the vicinity before being spotted. Link looked upset for a few minutes after that. Linebeck ignored him.

They emerged onto a larger street, a few other urchins lingering around the edges. They didn't stray into the middle, where a few adults were walking around. Link and Linebeck stayed around the edge as well. A few adults glanced at them and quickly glanced away. Linebeck soon recognized the area as one of the more orphan infested ones, but the people with homes generally hated them in those areas. The people that hated them, were scared of them, tended to be more aggressive. Of course, Linebeck knew more than most that fear could quickly turn to aggression, or crueler behavior.

He tugged Link along quickly, avoiding eye contact with any of the adults. If he remembered properly, down this street was a few alleyways leading to the plaza. They could go up the tower from there. Link was going slower than Linebeck would've liked, so he tugged on his arm. "Come on, I want to get out of here." Link murmured to himself and started to walk faster. Good. A few other orphans glanced up at them as they passed but didn't speak. A lot of them were on the younger side. Then again, this was also an area susceptible to illness.

There was murmuring from the streets, and Linebeck glanced back at Link. He was staring at some of the adults they passed. He stopped and turned Link's head back to facing forward. "Don't stare," Linebeck whispered, "They hate that." Link nodded silently, and they left the area without a problem. He and Link hurried through the next set of alleyways, avoiding a group of raccoons and ignoring any orphans asking for help. At one point, they caught sight of a few scraps outside the back door of a restaurant. They stopped and took as much as they could before getting caught. The two of them sprinted away after being seen by staff of the building.

Panting, they stopped in the middle of a more populated alleyway. No one bothered them. Link tugged on Linebeck's sleeve. "Do you think we're close to the tower now?"

Linebeck shrugged. "Well, I've been down this path before, and I know it leads to the plaza." Seeing Link's rather confused and curious expression, he explained, "The tower is in the plaza. The plaza is the middle of the city. More important buildings are around the plaza. Not really nice buildings, but they're important." He peered down the alleyway and pointed. "This way is where we need to go. Tell me when you've caught your breath."

The younger urchin nodded and sat against the wall. Linebeck stretched. He was more used to sprinting through the alleyways and could run a bit farther if they needed to. Link, up until a few days ago, had been living in a home, and most likely didn't need to put much strain on his body. A few months on the streets should get the kid in more shape. The kids that could run the fastest and longest usually lasted until adulthood. Link got up after a few minutes with a small smile. "I'm ok. Let's keep going."

It wasn't a long walk down to the plaza. Link let out an amazed gasp, tightening his grip on Linebeck's sleeve. The plaza was a large, mostly open circle, a few statues dotting the area. The tower was right in the middle, but it didn't look all too special. Around it was spots of grass and a few trees, a couple fountains randomly placed. It seemed random, but the placement of things was interesting. Link tugged even harder on Linebeck's sleeve, hopping up and down excitedly. "This looks so cool! I want to look around before we go to the tower! Can we? Please?"

Linebeck grunted and tugged him after him. "You can see it from the tower. Come on, I want to get this map over with and then you can leave me alone." He paused for a moment and glanced back at the younger boy. "Uh, not that I hated this week. You're pretty useful."

The two of them walked right into the tower and started to make their way up the winding spiral staircase. If they were to fall over the high railings, it'd be injury or death. Linebeck stayed as far from the railings as he could be, but Link glanced over the edge a few times. At one point, he leaned right over about halfway up, and Linebeck jerked him away from the edge. "If you fall over, it's my fault. Don't. Come on." Without protesting, Link stayed away from the edge. They passed a few people and interacted with no one. Neither of them made eye contact with a single person.

"How much farther do we have to go? My legs hurt," Link complained. "Can we stop for a little bit?" He peered around, and stared at Linebeck, utilizing his puppy eyes.

"No, we're almost to the top. You can rest while I work on the map. You can keep walking." Linebeck pointed up at the top of the stairs, only a few meters above them. "See? We're close. You've lasted a few minutes, you can go for a bit longer."

Link collapsed once they reached the top, not bothering to look around. He smiled up at Linebeck, who sighed. The top of the tower was rather large, bigger than the way up in terms of circumference. Linebeck walked over to the railings, peering over the side. It made him dizzy instantly, and he decided that staring at the ground that was about two hundred feet below him wasn't a good idea. He almost backed into another hylian. A few birds perched on the railings, and they flew away when Linebeck came within five feet of them. He remained a few feet away from the railing and started on the map.

Link sat up, still panting, but having caught his breath a bit. They were mostly alone on top of the tower, aside from the guy Linebeck almost walked into. It was nice. Link had gotten used to a few people around at a time, so less people was nice. He watched the older kid scribble down on the map. Getting to his feet, he walked over to Linebeck, passing him and leaning over the railing. He had to get on his toes to look over. Birds flew around meters above, and Link could see a majority of the city from the tower. It was larger than he thought, the places he and Linebeck had seen only being a small part of it.

He leaned over a bit, more, and let out a squeak as Linebeck pulled him away from the railing. Link whipped around, a bit reproachful. "Hey, you didn't need to do that. It scared me."

Linebeck glared down at him, finishing up on the map. "You were gonna fall. Stay from the edge." He moved to a different side and worked on a different part of the map. Link stuck his tongue out at him but remained far from the edge. A cold breeze blew through, and Link rubbed his arms.

"...And that's it." Linebeck turned around, penciling in a few last details. Link peered up at him and pointed at the map. "You're done?" He got to his feet, and Linebeck showed him the map. "Yeah, it's not the best, but I've labelled some important places. Let's go back down to the plaza really quick." He took Link's hand, and the two of them started back down the stairway. Link waved at an adult they passed on the way down. Linebeck sighed and tugged him on. "Well, it's around noon now, so I say we find some food, and a shelter. It's getting colder, I've noticed. It's a good thing you've got that beanie. I guess you're good in those sweatpants, too."

"What about you?" Link asked, almost tripping over a step. "You've got your scarf and coat, but it can't be too good. I want a jacket. Can we find me a jacket? Soon? I want a green jacket."

They walked back into the plaza, more people idling around than fifteen minutes ago. Less urchins were running around, now mostly lingering around the edges. Link peered around and tapped the map. "Where are we gonna keep that?"

Linebeck folded it up into a tight square. "I've got a few empty pockets in my coat," he said. "We can keep it there. Sorry for not making an extra one for you, there was less paper than I first thought." He tucked it into one of the pockets in his coat and glanced around. "We should get going. I'm gonna drop you off at the library again, and you'll decide where to go from there." The two of them exchanged a quick glanced, and Linebeck pointed over to an alleyway entrance. "Let's check over there. We should try and peg a shelter just in case it starts raining."

Link nodded, staring up at the sky. "Yeah, it is pretty cloudy. I wanna get some food, though." He tugged at Linebeck's sleeve, pointing over at the alleyway. "Come on!"

The two of them trekked over, shoving through a small crowd of people. Link tugged even harder on Linebeck's sleeve when he lagged behind, the teen snapping at him to wait in retaliation. They entered the small alleyway silently, and Linebeck took the lead. "I'm pretty sure this should be deserted for a bit. Keep an eye out for food, but don't get your hopes up."

Link stared around the alleyway, and they moved into a different segment before he could spot anything. "No one lives around there, huh?"

"Well, no one bothers to toss their stuff out as much. This is a higher-class bit, remember? The outskirts are the only place where it's easy for us. Anywhere else... people don't like us further in." Linebeck sighed and reached in his coat. "We'll be fine. I got us a bit more money for the next few days. Let's just find somewhere for the night and we can count it."

"Money?" Link asked, turning hopefully to Linebeck. "How'd you get money?"

He held up a small sack. "I'm a good pickpocket. Come on, let's find a place to rest."

The two of them wandered through the alleyways for a few minutes. A few kids watched them pass, an older orphan bleeding from a wound on her leg jumped out and clawed at Linebeck, trying to get at the sack. He shrieked, and tried to shove her off, resulting in him kicking her in the hurt leg and most likely breaking it. The two of them sprinted for a time after that.

They stopped and sat in a fairly open place, huddling under a higher up balcony. Link sat close to Linebeck, who pulled out the sack and opened it, letting the contents spill out in front of them.

A number of rupees fell out and Link beamed, staring at the small pile. "Wow! How much do you think that is?"

Linebeck shrugged and sifted through it. It was a mixture of mostly blues and reds. "Jeez, that person must have a good income. Definitely never was an urchin. He paused while sifting through, his fingers brushing something that wasn't money. "Ah-ah-ah... what's this?"

He pulled out a key. His head tilted to the side with a smile, he murmured, "Well then... this is to their house. Oh- there's a tag on it! What does it say...?" Link squinted at it, grasping at the tag. Linebeck shoved his hand away. "It's a bit faded, but from the design... looks pretty modern compared to the other shit I've seen." He squinted, turning the tag over. "It's to a Holodrum house. Those are pretty modern compared to the rest of the city. Higher-up. Rich families. I think I'll hit it tomorrow... or at some point when I'm passing the street."

Link stared at the key for a moment, saying nothing as Linebeck tucked it in a pocket. The teen then stared down at the money, gathering it up in his arms. "Mind if we use your beanie again?"

"Sure," Link mumbled, taking it off and holding it out. "Are you really gonna find that home of the person you stole from? Wouldn't that be bad?"

Linebeck shrugged, filling the little beanie with the stolen rupees. "Yeah, it's bad, but it'll be good for us- or me- since I can get good stuff from there." He handed Link his beanie back. "Bad for them, good for us. Should I drop you back off at the library or go right over and steal the stuff?"

Nearby, some orphans glanced their way. They'd most likely heard about the planned theft. Link pursed his lips, clutching the beanie to his chest. "...What are we gonna do at the library?"

"I'm gonna drop you off, and you can decide what you want to do next. I only agreed to have you tag around for the week, show you how things work, then we were gonna go back to the library and do that, remember?" He patted Link on the head and glanced around. "Now, it's kinda late now. We might as well find a different place for the night and maybe some food before it starts raining."

Getting to his feet and stretching, Linebeck peered down at Link. "C'mon, get up. I'm gonna check the map really quick." Link got to his feet, once again grasping at Linebeck's sleeve while he pulled out the map. Quickly unfolding it, Linebeck looked over his shoulder at the small group of urchins nearby. "Where are we?" Link asked, poking at the paper. Linebeck stared at it for a moment before jabbing at a part. "Here. Looks like there's a marketplace close nearby. Up north. Let's head there."

Link tilted his head to the side, slightly tugging on Linebeck's sleeve. "What's 'north'? Does it have to do with that little cross looking thingy you drew in the corner?"

"It's uh... I guess you'd call it a compass, but that's probably not the right word. It helps us figure out which way we're facing. See those letters? N is north, S is south, E is east, and W is west." Linebeck bit his lip and muttered, "Well, it's not perfect, but..."

With a finger, Link tapped the N. "So... North is up? South is down? East is... right and west is left? Is that right?" He smiled hopefully up at Linebeck, who sighed.

"Yes, kid. That's right. Come on, let's get to the market." With a little pat on Link's back, he put the map away and the two of them made their way down the alleyway.


	7. Chapter 7

The marketplace was bustling with people, but not to the point where Link and Linebeck couldn't get through easily. Mostly adults trading with the stand keepers. A few other orphans lingered around the edges, so Link and Linebeck were the only ones going around. Link pointed to a stand with stacks of potatoes on the counter. "How about those? How much do you think they'd cost?" He stared down at his beanie, currently used as a sack for money.

"We're not gonna pay for them, I want to use this money to get some replacement clothes at some point." The owner of the stand seemed half asleep, leaning heavily on the counter. Linebeck stared at him, peering around at the area around him. "I'm gonna steal some." He gently shoved Link away from him. "Stay close, but not too close. Get ready to run if needed."

"Which way should I run?" Link asked, glancing around anxiously.

Linebeck stared up and down both streets and pointed down one way. "That way. It would lead more to the library."

The potato stand didn't have much around it, so he'd have to watch and see when the stand owner wasn't watching. Might as well take two potatoes. The shopkeeper glanced the other way, and Linebeck's heart skipped a beat. No time to hesitate. He lunged forward as quietly as he could, snatching a potato. Might as well risk it and take the second. He clawed for the second and- Shit. It rolled off and fell to the ground with a thud, then rolled away a bit more and knocked over some cans. Talk about shitty luck- "Hey! What are you doing, you little urchin?!"

Goddammit. The shopkeeper came out from behind the stand, and Linebeck stumbled back. Screw that other potato. One is good enough- "Let go of me!"

The shopkeeper reached down and grabbed his arm, snarling. "I'm tired of you nasty street bugs stealing my wares. Stupid little..." He roughly pulled Linebeck closer to him, knocking the stolen potato from his hand. "I'll teach you a lesson, you little urchin. You should know we wouldn't take kindly to thieves-" He punched Linebeck in the ribcage, catching the orphan off-guard. He honestly didn't expect the shopkeeper to hurt him. He struggled fiercely, the shopkeeper grabbing his shirt collar.

Trying his best to avoid the next attack, Linebeck reached for his knife, only for it to fall out of the pocket and clatter on the ground. Around him, a few people quickly left the vicinity, not bothering to help the orphan. The shopkeeper kneed him in the stomach. He whined, struggling harder, unable to get away. The shopkeeper looked like he was going to punch him again, then let out a shriek, letting go of Linebeck and stumbled back. He didn't realize what was going on until he noticed that shopkeeper clutching his leg, Linebeck's knife hilt-deep in his thigh. Link was backing up from him, hands cupped over his mouth.

Thinking quickly, Linebeck ripped his knife out of the stand owner's leg and scooped up the two potatoes, shouting at Link, "RUN!" The two of them sprinted away as quickly as they could. Linebeck roughly shoved Link into an alleyway, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that no one was following. He ducked behind a line of trashcans and pulled Link down with him. The two of them waited in silence for a few minutes. After a couple tense minutes, Linebeck stared at his blood-covered knife, then at Link. "You... you saved me. Not- not from death, I guess, but you saved me all the same."

Link shook his head, staring at the knife. "I-I... I guess... but-but... I h-hurt that guy! I-I... I r-really didn't want to h-hurt him... oh goddesses, I hope he's ok..."

Linebeck let out a nervous laugh and glanced around, picking up a nearby rag. He cleaned off the knife quickly. Link tugged at his sleeve. "Do you think he'll be ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, it wasn't too bad, and people were around. What about me? I got punched and kneed!" The teen glanced sidelong at Link, who nodded slowly. The knife was replaced in its designated pocket.

Link bit his lip and pointed at the potatoes that had been stolen. "Should we eat them now?"

Linebeck shrugged, glancing up and down the alleyway. "Yeah, sure. Here." He handed Link one of the potatoes, the smaller one. Linebeck looked over his, nothing concerning other than a bit of dirt stuck on that he clawed off.

Link peered over at Linebeck and asked, "We can just eat this without cooking it or anything?"

"Yeah," Linebeck said, "you don't need to. Sure, it tastes a bit better after baking it, but it's edible raw. Not half bad, really." He waited until Link nibbled at his own food before taking a bite. It was fairly cold, but rather good- better than old meat or small crumbs. Link watched him before taking an actual bite. He smiled, glancing up at Linebeck. "It is kinda good! What's it like, uh... you said they can be baked."

"Well, it obviously gets warmer, and the potato parts are easier to bite into. It honestly tastes better, but we can't really do that right now." He took another bite and backed up closer to the wall. Link stared down at his own and waited until Linebeck finished his. Once finished, Linebeck pulled out the map and started to look it over before glancing at Link. "You're not going to finish it? We really shouldn't waste food out here."

"No, I'm gonna finish it, just not now. We're going back to the library, right? How close are we?"

Linebeck nodded and pointed at a small alleyway on the map. "We're here. It should take us about a day or two to reach the library if we stay near the main street." He traced a path between buildings back to the main street and pointed at a small square labeled in small handwriting 'Library'. "There's the library. I'll lead the way, got it."

Link nodded, and the duo waited until he finished his potato before moving on. They walked briskly through the alleyways, sticking near the main street. Linebeck kept his eyes on the map, keeping track of where they were. They wandered through silently, ignoring other kids asking for materials or food, and Link pointed at a barrel that was on fire. "Why- why's that on fire? Isn't that bad?"

Linebeck shrugged. "Lots of kids set trashcans on fire to keep warm when it gets cold. Usually the kids without coats or hats. Stuff like that. Kids with lighters are seen as valuable allies due to that."

Link nodded. "I guess that means different things help you with different stuff, right?"

"Yeah, exactly. For example, we can be seen as very valuable due to this map. I don't want to have it out too often, but just for now I'll have it out. My knife is good for a fight. I... don't know what you can do. You're good for appealing to people in an emotional way. Sure, a hell of a lot of this city hates orphans, but even they might cave at the sight of a kid your age. They don't see you as... volatile. Would you be up for a bit of running?" He waited for Link's response, and the kid seemed to seriously contemplate the question.

When he looked up, he had a determined look on his face. "What for? Running to the library? If we have to, sure."

Linebeck chuckled to himself and put the map away. "Right. If you need to stop, we can. Just stick as close to me as possible." Without warning, he set off jogging, staying at the slow pace until Link almost passed him. He broke into a full run, and the two orphans dashed through the desolate labyrinth.

Link was on Linebeck's heels, surprisingly fast for his age, but Linebeck was going slow enough for him to follow. They took sharp turns, hopping over puddles and dodging other urchins in the way. Link, panting, put on an extra burst of speed and tugged on Linebeck's sleeve. Panting, he breathlessly asked, "C-can we... can we s... stop?"

Linebeck slowed to a walk, stopping as Link leaned heavily against him. "You're alright, right?"

Link nodded. "I-I'm... fine... tired..." Linebeck gently led him over to the wall and the two of them sat against it. Linebeck watched Link gulp for air for a few moments. "We went pretty far, y'know. Farther than we could've walking, definitely. In good time, too. You can run pretty fast if you want to."

Link nodded, having regained a bit of his breath. "Yeah, I can. You're really fast, too."

Linebeck shrugged. "I've had practice. In my first year on the streets, I was pursued by a group of the Warden's subordinates for managing to steal a knife from Bellum."

"Really?! You stole a knife from him?! But it was just a knife. Why'd they chase you over it for so long?"

There was a moment of hesitation before Linebeck answered slowly. "It was an heirloom of his, a sort of dagger with designs on the hilt. I lost it last year to that gang we saw the other day. I'm pretty sure they still have it. Anyways, while I was being chased, I couldn't stay in one place for too long, since they were hot on my trail. After about two weeks, well, it just... stopped. It wasn't that they lost interest, it just stopped. Like it had never happened. I don't know why."

Link paused for a moment. "What's an heirloom?"

"It's usually an item that's passed down from generation to generation in a family. I dunno why he had it though, he didn't have any family." Linebeck pressed the back of his head against the wall, tired from the running. He glanced at Link, who was silent. "Y'know, you seem to understand most of the words I use without needing to ask what they mean. Kinda surprising for your age."

Link simply shrugged. "My grandma read with me a lot, and I would read to my sister when she was old enough to understand." He bit his bottom lip, and when he spoke again, there was a quiver in his voice. "She, she liked it when I read to her." He hugged himself tightly.

Linebeck stared at him for a moment, then quietly asked, "Is it ok if I ask about them? Y-your family?"

Rubbing at the corners of his eyes, Link nodded. "Yeah, sure. That's fine with me..." The way he trailed of indicated to Linebeck that the kid was still a bit uncomfortable with it.

With a sigh, Linebeck asked, "Right, so, how old was your sister when- when she died?"

"I think she was about two. She'd just started walking." He paused. "Her name was Aryll."

Linebeck nodded, biting back a rather rude comment about the odd name. He hugged his knees to his chest, peering around the alleyway. "Ok. I don't want to bother you with any more questions."

Link nodded, then asked, "That knife you took was an heirloom, right? If it was so important, why do you think they just... stopped chasing you?"

Linebeck shrugged. "Like I said, I dunno. The blade was weirdly shaped, though. Sorta like a normal knife, but... the blade was slightly loose if you pulled on it, and it was pretty light, like there were chunks of the blade missing. But I haven't seen it since it was stolen." He got to his feet and stretched. "We should get going. Do you want to run again?"

Link leapt to his feet, raring to go. "Yeah!" He sprinted away before Linebeck, and the two of them resumed dashing through the alleyways.

* * *

Zelda glanced up and down the street. They said he was wandering somewhere around here. A few people waved at her, and she waved back. Most people recognized her, of course they would... she managed this city, after all. The other two would mostly get nasty looks. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen Ganondorf for about a week. He'd mentioned leaving the city for negotiations at one point, but she didn't think he'd meant it.

She let out at sigh and turned a corner. Not that it mattered. His only real role of importance was his half of the military, his role as judge didn't really matter. He'd tried a few times to take her spot, however. He'd failed every time. Zelda wasn't really scared of him anymore. It was Bellum she decided she needed to keep an eye on. He wasn't as aggressive towards the two of them, more aggressive towards citizens. Then again, his role demanded that, but he seemed to be naturally cruel.

Zelda glanced around the street for a moment. Not here either. She walked over to another street and almost ran right into Bellum. She backed up quickly. "Oh, sorry for that. I was looking for you."

Bellum tilted his head, his strange eyes creeping her out like usual. "You were? Today is my off day, what do you want?"

She shifted awkwardly. It'd been more awkward to talk to him in the past few years, he'd started to be more bad-tempered after his loss of that heirloom knife. Oh, right, that. "I don't mean to bother you about this, but you remember when a majority of your phantoms started chasing that kid that took your knife, right?"

Bellum growled slightly starting to walk past her. "Yeah, so what? They better not be going after him again, I told them to just leave it. Didn't that kid lose it, anyways?"

"Yeah, he did, and some of your phantoms have reported to seeing a small gang carrying it around." That got a reaction out of the warden.

He whipped around. "They saw who carrying it? Oh, that's not good. It's that group who's known for right-out invading places, isn't it?"

Zelda nodded. "We've been keeping an eye on them since they appeared; yes, them."

Bellum gritted his sharp teeth and mutter, "I'd better set up a group to track them down... that knife's not a problem if some random orphan has it, but them..."

He started to quickly make his way down the street, Zelda matching his pace. "Why's that such a problem?"

"That's not important, but if they have it, it's going to attract a lot of attention if they end up showing it off. They've had it for how long?"

"Uh, a few months."

"Right, right. They clearly have no intention of showing it off if we've only just now learned about this. Thanks for telling me... I'll make sure to hunt them down. Don't worry, I won't kill anyone. Maiming at the most... but they'll certainly be detained for multiple reasons."


	8. Chapter 8

Linebeck stared at the map while Link clung to his sleeve, on his toes. "We're pretty close to the library, if we make our way back on to the main street we'll be there in a matter of minutes."

Link nodded and hopped back. "Let's get going, then!"

Linebeck sighed and led him through the alleyways. They'd gotten much closer to the library yesterday and had spent the majority of this day walking. The teen was surprised that the younger orphan hadn't complained too much about... well, anything. He stopped, kicking a trashcan. A bird flew out from behind it, then flopped to the ground. It attempted to fly again, but only stumbled forward.

It let out a frustrated squawk. Linebeck pulled out his knife, intending to put it out of its misery, but Link tugged him back. "Don't kill it!"

Linebeck stared at Link. "Why? We need food, we can clean it off and cook it over some fire. I bet the library will let us do that."

"But, but..." Link bit his bottom lip. "It's a little bird! We should just let it go! I don't want you to kill it!"

He tugged harder on Linebeck, who shoved him off. "It's going to die anyways!"

Link shouted back, "No it's not! If we let it go, it'll live!"

Irritated, Linebeck pointed at the poor thing. "Look at it! It can't fly! The wing is broken. Some random cat's gonna come and kill it anyways. It's like a mercy kill. It'll be less painful if I give it a quick stab as opposed to being chewed to death."

Link's bottom lip quivered, and he turned away. "If you're going to kill it, at least be fast."

Linebeck sighed and crouched down next to the tiny animal. Meaning to be quick, he stabbed it through the back, and it let out a loud squawk, then went silent. Went limp. There. He knew a few kids that would buy the feathers, usually to then sell to merchants around the city. He plucked a few out until Link shook his shoulder. "Stop, stop, that's kinda creepy... can we just keep going?" Linebeck quickly stuffed the feathers in a coat pocket. They continued back on their way to the library without much to say to each other.

They reached the library about three hours after noon, and Leaf greeted them excitedly when they walked in. "O-oh hey, Link, Linebeck! Good to see you two again! Oshus should be somewhere in the bookshelves, he's helping out Neri. Ciela is out getting new books. We got some funding a few days ago!" He pointed further into the library. A few kids were wandering around. Before Link and Linebeck walked off, Leaf asked, "Oh, yeah, Link, do you have an idea of what you're going to do from now on?"

Link was quiet, then took Linebeck's hand, holding it tight so he couldn't flinch away. "I'm going to stick with Linebeck!"

 _What?_

Linebeck jerked his hand roughly out of Link's. "Look, listen. I won't say I hated this week, but I'm not going to have you tagging along for damn near six years. You'd be fine on your own, you little _leech._ You can survive on your own just fine, you could probably find a nice group to join. Just leave me alone. I'm a loner, I work better alone. I can give you a map, I can give you tips, but I'm not about to let you become my goddamn shadow."

Link backed away a bit, looking hurt. "B-but, you're the only person out there I know. And I know you care about me, or else you wouldn't have been helping me in the first plac-"

"Yeah, like I was gonna let you die. Doesn't mean I was about to let you follow me around. I'm not gonna keep you around, alright? I'm here to drop you off and let you leave, alone."

Behind them, Leaf stammered, "H-hey, Linebeck, maybe let the kid stay? There's a good chance he-he'll die-"

Link stumbled forward a bit, meeting Linebeck's eyes with his own. "Ok, I get you think I'll be bad for your own chances. But, if you think about it, I've been really helpful. I've held money for us, gotten us food, and even saved you recently." Linebeck glared down at him, but his gaze seemed less fierce. He seemed to be considering the words. In the tense silence that followed, Link backed up again. He rubbed his arm stressfully. He didn't want to be on the streets alone, really. Sure, he had an idea of what to do, and he could even team up with other orphans. But it wouldn't feel right if he wasn't with Linebeck.

Sure, it had only been a week, but Link had grown close to the older boy. He didn't want to have to leave him after a week. Linebeck shot another glare at him, and his insides twisted. There was a good chance he'd be forced to be alone at this point; he wasn't going to let that happen so easily. Stress-filled moments passed, and Linebeck finally mumbled, "Fine. He has been useful, and, who knows? We might make a good team. Eventually." Link smiled, having caught on to a gentler tone of voice at the end.

They held each other's gaze for a few moments, and Link heard Leaf's quiet relieved sigh. Link glanced to the side, spotting both Neri and Ciela. They jumped when they saw him see them, then turned back to a bookcase. Linebeck followed his gaze and growled. "I thought Ciela was out getting books. Why're they watching, anyways? That's a bit damn rude."

Leaf shrugged and leaned over his desk to see his sisters. "Sorry, they're not usually like that. I think she might've come back a bit early. She's got a key to the back door, and usually comes in through that if she has extra books." He sat back and sighed. "Well, I'm happy that you'll let Link stay with you, Linebeck. And, Link, try to ignore him if he gets rude, I've noticed that he can get into a bad mood often if you say the wrong thing."

Linebeck shot him an angry look but Link just smiled. "Ok." He glanced over at Linebeck again. "Can we stay here for a bit?"

Linebeck shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Why not. I've got some books I want to read, anyways."

Link nodded, watching Linebeck walk off into the shelves. He glanced up at Leaf and shrugged. The young man shrugged back, looking very much relieved. Link jogged after Linebeck, who stopped and pulled out a few books from the shelves. Without so much as a glance towards the younger kid, Linebeck mumbled, "So, you're sticking with me from here on out, no questions asked, huh?"

"Yep. Thanks for letting me stick with you, even if you don't actually want it."

Linebeck sighed, walking to a table with the books in his arms. Link trailed after him. Placing the books down in a stack, Linebeck said, "I do want it, it's just that I don't like to trust people for long periods of time and having you around might make things a little harder but might also make other things easier." He stared at the top book and slid it onto the table. "We might as well stick here for the night. It's getting late. Tomorrow we can head out, find that house that key belongs to, steal from them, and then see what happens next." He sat down and began to read the book.

Link stared at him, and then at the book. It was long page of text. The book Linebeck had read when they first met had pictures. "Why doesn't that book have pictures?"

Linebeck didn't look up. "It's a novel. It doesn't have pictures. A few novels do, though."

"Oh. It looks like a harder book to read." Link sat down next to Linebeck and stared at the page. "The words look small. I bet that's a pretty long book."

Linebeck nodded, checking the cover. "Yeah, this is a longer book. I've read it before, though. I could start from the beginning for you, if you want. We- we could read it together?"

He waited as Link stared at the stack of books. He pulled out the thinnest book in the stack and stared at it. "Have you read this one? It doesn't look as long."

He showed it to Linebeck, who took it from him. "Oh, this one? I read this one all the time. Well, anything similar to it."

Link stared at it, and asked, what do you mean? What can be similar to it?"

"It's sorta an adventure that takes place on the ocean. Pirates and stuff. It's cool. I really like it."

Link nodded silently, pointing at the book again. "What's it called? The cover looks kinda blank. Is it so old that the cover got rubbed off or something?"

Linebeck turned it over and nodded. "Yeah. I asked the old man about it. It's really old. It's good, though. Sure, we can read it together." The older boy patted the seat next to him, inviting Link to sit next to him.

Link hesitated, then sat next to him. "It looks like it's been read a lot. What was it like when you first saw it?"

"It was pretty much like this. I read a different version before finding this one in the library. But it's been read quite a bit. It's apparently really old, though, yeah." Linebeck flipped through a few pages to the first. "Tell me when you want me to turn the page. I'm a faster reader than you. You can also ask me about anything you don't understand. I've read this a bunch of times." He glanced up for a moment, spotting the three siblings huddled around Leaf's desk. He sighed, then glanced over a Link, who was closely reading the book.

Linebeck slipped the book back into the spot he pulled it from. Next to him, Link didn't say a work until he pulled it back out from the shelf. "Can't we borrow it?"

With sigh, Linebeck took the book from Link's hand and put it back on the shelf. "No. We need library cards to check out books. And as nice as they are to us, the guys here don't give them to orphans. I mean, we live on the streets and stuff." He gestured for Link to follow him, and they walked out of the bookshelves. Link waved at Leaf, who waved back before Linebeck tugged him out the door. "C'mon, we should find a place for tonight. It's getting late."

"Is it?" Link asked, peering around. It was cloudy, so he wasn't sure what time it was. "I guess we were in the library for a bit, but is it really getting late?" He tilted his head up at the sky. Linebeck sighed, stopping walking. "There's a clock in the library. You probably didn't see it. It's around seven. We need to find some food, then a place to sleep." He glanced around, pointing over at an alleyway. "C'mon, let's head down there." Link trailed after him into the alleyway. It was narrow, claustrophobic.

Linebeck left Link at a small shelter while he looked around for food. He'd left his coat in the shelter, as it was warmer than usual that afternoon. Link sat against the wall, his knees pressed against his chest. He glanced at Linebeck's coat, picking it up and looking it over. It looked strange, the inside lined with pockets that looked unevenly sewn on. The knife was left in a smaller pocket, the map in a larger, a small matchbox tucked inconspicuously in a tiny pocket near the collar. Link turned it over a few times, taking in the details of Linebeck's coat before the young teen returned.

Linebeck snatched his coat out of Link's hands and laid it next to him as he sat down. "Don't touch it. I got a little bit of food." He handed Link a few dirty-looking orange slices.

He wrinkled his nose distastefully at them. "Ew."

With a sigh, poking his own slices, Linebeck mumbled, "Just go with it. It's kinda rare to get these anyways. Good as both food and water. Hm..." He trailed off as he ate one of his slices. Link stared owlishly at him for a moment, expecting him to continue. When he didn't, Link took a bite out of one of the slices. It was sweet, but muted, almost by the dirt. Watery. Maybe they weren't that old. Link ate his slowly, Linebeck finishing his off quickly. Once Link was done, Linebeck spoke. "We should find a flask or something. A can... canteen? Screw it. Dunno what they're called, but we need a sort of container to hold water. They're pretty hard to come by."

Link nodded, peering up at the sky. "Why do you think it's warm now? Isn't' it almost wintertime? I mean, it's not really warm, but it's nice." He tugged his beanie down over his ears. "I hope it rains."

"It might rain. It's super cloudy today. Also, sometimes, since we're a metalworking city, it gets warmer due to more work being done. It spreads around the city." He hugged himself, glancing up and down the alley. "The metal factories are way, way across the city. It smells kinda bad over there." Reaching into his coat pockets, Linebeck showed Link the map. He pointed at a large rectangle on the far left of the map. "That's the factory." He paused. "Do you wanna visit a few places before settling into a daily routine? I mean, you clearly haven't seen too much of the city, and it doesn't hurt to know your way around." He handed Link the map. "Just... keep them in mind. I can make a list later." He turned and laid down, curled up, his head on his coat.

Link stared at him, then at the map. Not too much stood out to him. Linebeck had captioned a few larger areas, obviously important. There was a large park area, the homes of the city leaders, each of the wall checkpoints, and more areas that Link had only heard about in the past few days. He memorized the names silently and tapped Linebeck's shoulder with the folded-up map. "I have a list in mind. Here's the map back."

With a slight groan, Linebeck fumbled with the map before snatching it out of Link's hand, lazily stuffing it back in his coat pocket. "It's getting late. Leave me alone and get some sleep." He curled up tighter, pulling he feet under the shelter. Link sat up, not feeling too tired, but still curious, with a new question in mind. "Is it possible to have a permanent shelter? Like, a private one? That only we can live in? Like... a little home?"

Linebeck grunted and rolled over, now facing Link. "Dunno. I've heard of it, but what would be the point? I don't like to stay in one place. It's unsafe. Besides, that'd be really hard to do." He went silent and glanced at the ground. He ran a dirty fingernail along the concrete, Link flinching at the faint grating noise. "But... I guess we can find a place to stash important things. In fact, I've got a camera hidden in a place in the city, and it hasn't been touched each time I return to it." He peered up at Link. "I've got it marked on the map. I'll show it to you if we pass it. Let's sleep, for now."

With the only sound being quiet shifting, Link laid down on his side, balling up his beanie and using it as a pillow. Linebeck didn't turn the other way, but closed his eyes quickly, and kept them closed. Link sighed, then yawned, and did the same, ignoring any other noises as he tried to fall asleep, but the constant cawing of birds, distant shouts, and various other noises kept him up. It got quieter, but there was a cold wind as it got later, and Link started to shiver. He'd nearly given up on sleep when something like a blanket was tossed over him- he felt it and recognized it as Linebeck's coat.


	9. Chapter 9

Linebeck snuck along the wall, glancing back at Link every so often. He whispered, "Be quiet, stay against the wall, got it? We don't need to attract attention from these assholes." Link nodded, straying near Linebeck. They were sneaking through an open part, shuffling behind a dumpster. Link was against it at first, but Linebeck had given him that option, or getting caught up in the fight going on.

It looked to be two small gangs against each other- each group consisting of a handful of roughed-up looking kids. Most were in small fistfights, but a couple were gripping knives. Getting caught in that fight would mean getting hurt. Linebeck flattened himself against the wall. "Link, you go first. If we both run for the alleyway, they'll most likely leave the first one to run alone and goes for the one in the back. I don't need you getting hurt. We can keep moving if I can get hurt, but if you get hurt, we'll be going slower. Run when I tell you to, no later, no earlier." Link nodded, shuffling past Linebeck slowly.

The fighting got loud, with a pained scream added to the noise. Link flinched, mentally relieved that he couldn't see what happened. As far as he knew, they were either fighting over territory or food. They all looked to be older than Linebeck, so that posed an issue. The two of them inched to the edge of the dumpster, stopping right at the edge. The next alleyway was mere meters away, about five yards, as Link knew it. He made sure not to let any part of his body be visible to the fighting urchins.

Linebeck whispered, "Go, go and run as fast as you can. I'll be right behind you. Don't look back." Link nodded and dashed out from behind the dumpster. There was shouting from the fighters, and it got louder, suggesting that Linebeck had started running, too. Link sprinted as fast as he could, forcing himself not to glance over his shoulder. Linebeck had told him not too, anyways. It must've been for good reason. The shouting rang out again, a few with pain, and Link turned a corner. Linebeck told him not to stop until he turned three corners, left-right-left. He turned another corner, the sound of only one other runner behind him. The fighters left them alone, but Linebeck told him not to stop until that last corner.

He skidded to a stop after the third corner, letting himself fall back and slide to the ground. Panting and tired, Link glanced to the side, waiting for Linebeck to meet up with him. What if he took a wrong turn? What if Link went the wrong way? He held his breath for a moment, hearing ragged panting nearing him. Linebeck stumbled over to Link, and collapsed next to him, gritting his teeth and clutching his leg. Link crawled over. "A-are you ok? Did you get hurt?"

Linebeck growled between his teeth, "Obviously... one of them managed to get me... stabbed me in the goddamn leg. I think part of the knife broke off... son of a bitch-!" He clawed at the wound, a deep-looking gash in his calf. Link stared at it, his hands shaking. "Wh-what do I do? I want t-to help, but..." Linebeck cut him off. "J-just get the knife out! I-I can't see it... you'll have to dig it out." He writhed around, managing to sit up against the wall. Link watched him, both concerned and scared, but glanced down at the wound. It would be hard to reach, but Linebeck, with a pained grunt, pulled his knee to his chest. "T-there. You should b-be about to see it better."

Link nodded shakily and got a good look at the gash. It was still oozing blood, a small chunk of metal imbedded in the skin at the bottom. That must've been the blade, all rusty, a small piece. It shifted around whenever Linebeck flinched. Link swallowed hard, assuming that he just needed to tug it out, tapped it slightly. The metal shifted, moving inwards, and Linebeck hissed through his teeth. "J-just pull it out! Ignore it if I scream or goddamn whatever-! Just get it out!" Link nodded again and turned his attention back to the knife bit.

Holding his breath, Link reached at the metal again, gritting his teeth and carefully made sure his fingers, now coated in blood, gripped the edge of the metal. Linebeck whined and flinched, nearly shoving the metal deeper. Link kept a tight grip on it and slowly and painstakingly pulled it out, tossing the crimson-coated metal on the ground. Linebeck screamed through his teeth, the pained noise muffled as he hugged his knees to his chest. Link stared up at him, scared. "A-are you ok? I didn't mean to hurt y-you..."

Linebeck shook his head, a stiff movement, and whispered, "It's fine, it's fine, it was going to hurt either way. Right now, we need to focus on bandaging this damned cut..." He winced as he stretched the hurt leg out, letting Link see it again. The boy's pants leg was ruined, torn into tatters at the bottom and bloodstained. Linebeck spotted Link staring at it. "It'll be fine. We just need different cloth and some sort of pin to make some sorta bandage. Here, help me up." Link let him lay an arm across his shoulders, leaning heavily on the smaller. Linebeck started to limp down the alleyway, Link helping him stand properly.

They managed to turn a corner, sticking near the walls. Linebeck stumbled and leaned against the wall with a pained cry. Link peered up at him with concern. "What? Did you make it worse?"

Linebeck gritted his teeth, nodding without talking. He pushed off of Link, letting himself slide down against the wall. He clutched at the cut again, groaning, Link hovering near him worriedly. "W-what's wrong?"

"It's still bleeding, and it hurts like hell... I probably won't be able to walk too much unless we wrap this up. That would at least slow the bleeding." He turned and peered up at Link, sitting limply against the wall. "You'll need to find something..."

Link kneeled down in front of Linebeck. "Are you sure? Where would I even find something for that?"

"Just... find a cloth or something. Long cloths would work, try and pick up anything else interesting, too." He smiled shakily and pointed down the alleyway. "Go ahead, I trust you. I'd lend you my knife, but I'm worried about myself. Just... good luck. Don't take all day. Don't get lost, try and stay close." Link hesitated, then nodded. Linebeck nodded in response and pointed down the alley again.

Without another word, Link sprinted down the alleyway and turned the first corner. There were a few trash cans against the wall, a kid looking to be a few years older than Link digging through one of them. He ignored him and peered down into the first can, standing on his tiptoes. It was nearly empty. All that was in there was broken plates and old food. It smelled rancid. Link stumbled back, his nose wrinkled. He waited until the stench was cleared from his nose before peering in the next can. It was fuller but had similar contents. He left it alone quickly and moved on to the last trash can, passing the other kid silently.

Then next can was better. Fuller, less smelly, and Link decided it was worth digging through a little. It was mostly broken plates, so he was careful not to cut himself on a jagged edge. Reaching in far enough, his fingers grazed against something soft, and he tugged it out. Perfect- a long strip of cloth. It looked thin, but it was what Linebeck asked for. Maybe he could find a pin or something next. Link plunged his hand back in, to no avail of finding a pin. His last option was the can that the other kid was digging through, and he took it.

He peered in opposite of the other kid, who didn't notice him or just didn't care. Reaching in, Link dug through more of the plates, and almost cut his hand on something sharp. Getting on his toes to reach better and see more, Link reached the sharp thing and tugged it out. An old bobby pin- perfect. Link stepped back and stared at it. It was a tad rusty, but he'd have to see what Linebeck thought. He knew more about this stuff than him.

The kid that was digging through the can across from him glanced over but didn't say a word. Unnerved, Link left the area as quickly as he could. Scared of getting lost, Link lingered at each fork in the road to check for things he recognized. Linebeck was still sitting against the wall and sat up when he spotted Link returning. "D-did you get the stuff?"

Link nodded and kneeled down near him. Before he could do anything, Linebeck snatched the cloth out of his hands. "Let me do it. I've dealt with similar stuff. You just watch and hand me the pin when I ask for it." Link nodded and sat back, Linebeck slowly wrapping the cloth around his leg, shifting and messing with it to make it tighter and cover the wound. He held out his hand for the pin and pinned the end of the cloth to the other, binding the bandage to his leg. Linebeck held a hand up, and Link helped him stagger to his feet, still limping, but wincing from pain less. The cloth had spots of blood staining the inside of it but stopped the bleeding well enough.

Hours of slow stumbling and leaning against Link passed, and Linebeck finally pushed off of him. "Thanks, I think I'll be fine on my own, kid." Link stared up at him for a moment.

"Why do you call me 'kid'?" Link asked. "I mean, you're not the much older than me, and you're still just a kid, too." Linebeck shrugged, glancing around. Link crossed his arms and walked after Linebeck as the taller kid limped down the alleyway, they had stopped in.

"It's a habit," Linebeck finally said, peering around. "I started doing that about a year after going on the streets. Same with my... explicit vocabulary." He glanced back at Link and added, "You get what I mean, right?" Link nodded, and Linebeck did the same. "Right. Do me a favor and don't use those words. But it's a habit for me, and I'm not really in the mood to change my speaking habits any time soon. Dammit, where is it..."

Link jogged up beside him. "What are you looking for?"

Linebeck shrugged. "Remember when I mentioned that camera? It should be around here somewhere. I put it in a sort of hole in a wall, a bit hard to see since it's behind a dumpster. Should be just around this corner..." Stopping at the fork in the road, Linebeck fumbled for his map. He stared at it for a bit and hobbled down one of the pathways. "This way. Keep up."

They walked for a few minutes, Linebeck not saying a word until they reached a dumpster a few inches from the wall. Linebeck pointed to it. "Help me move it." The two of them tugged on the side, and with a great grating noise, the dumpster shifted about two feet, and Linebeck was able to reach behind it. After a couple moments, he scooted back and held out a small camera.

"Oh, I think I've seen one of those before," Link exclaimed.

"Well, they're not rare..." Linebeck muttered, turning the camera over and pulling off a small bag. "These are a few pictures I've taken." He held them out to Link, who took them gingerly from his hands. He turned them over, it was a pile of about five. "The oldest one I took pretty soon after going on the streets," Linebeck explained, still looking over his camera, muttering to himself.

Link sat down next to Linebeck and went through the photos from back to front- the right order, he assumed. The first was simply a picture of Linebeck, a couple years younger- his hair was a bit shorter and there were no shadows under his eyes- but he looked nervous. Link squinted at the picture. "Does the camera give you a few seconds before taking the picture?"

"Yeah. It's pretty nice. There's no flash, unlike most cameras."

Link nodded and flipped through the rest of the pictures. Four of them were pictures of only Linebeck, showing him aging. The rest were of a few items of his: his coat that he most likely had for a few years, a sneaky picture of Bellum, a picture of what looked to be a strange mansion, two pictures of a forest-looking area, the last two of stray cats. Link smiled and peered over at Linebeck again. "Why do you take these pictures? What are you planning to do with them?"

Linebeck went quiet, placing down the camera before softly answering, "I... dunno. I mean, I'm using them as a way to catalogue my time out here, at the very least to get pictures of me each new year." A bit quieter, he added, "I also keep them just in case, but that scenario may never happen." He sat with his head tilted down, then lethargically picked the camera back up. "Mind if I take a picture of you?"

Link smiled and shook his head. "No, go ahead-" Linebeck held up the camera and there was a small click, all before Link stopped talking. He cut himself off and adopted a confused look, watching a slip of paper slide out of the bottom of the camera. "Is that the picture? That was fast."

Linebeck nodded and tugged it out, shaking it around in the air. "Give it a moment..." Link scooted over next to him and waited until an image was visible on the paper. Linebeck looked at it for a moment, then handed it to Link. "Here. It came out pretty well."

It was a simple picture of Link smiling, his beanie pulled down above his ears, but his bangs hanging out visibly. He looked dirty, but the smile on his face really was happy. Link nodded. "Yeah. It did come out pretty well. Should we leave it here? With the other pictures?"

"Sure," Linebeck said. "We can find it again if needed. Let's work on finding that house those keys go to," He mumbled, referencing the house keys he had stolen. "Help me up."

Link helped tug Linebeck to his feet, and the two of them went back to wandering the alleyways and streets. They only stopped after finding a few tossed out slices of extremely burnt bread and making the best of it. Leaving that area alone, Link asked, "Where was that picture with that house? Where is that? Why'd you take a picture of it? What is that house?"

Linebeck shrugged, limping a bit faster. "Well, it's around the middle of the city- it's the home of Bellum. Y'know, the Warden. I think I took the picture just because. It's cool-looking." He glanced back at Link. "What do you think about those pictures of the park? Want to visit that at some point? It's getting cold, so you wouldn't see them with leaves or anything." He peered up at the sky, squinting from the dim sunlight through the clouds. "It's the middle of October. Give it about four to five weeks, and it'll start snowing. We'll need to get warmer clothes for that, or just stick near the library."

Link nodded. "Don't you think it's getting a bit late?"

Linebeck shrugged. "Maybe. What, you want to stop?"

Link jogged to match pace with Linebeck. "Yeah. I'm getting tired, and I think you should rest for a bit." The stared at each other quietly, and eventually stopped, ducking under a new-looking shelter. Soon after, the clouds turned darker, and thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Good call," Linebeck murmured. "I'd hate to be out in a storm. You should get some sleep. Or be quiet. I want to get some sleep."

Link nodded and pulled his knees close to his chest. Linebeck laid down next to him, facing away. Link wanted to talk to him more, but he also didn't want to bother him. He didn't feel very sleepy himself and decided to keep watch for as long as he could. From somewhere, an owl hooted. As far as Link knew, he assumed owls would usually stick near the forest. What would they be doing out here? Link glanced down at Linebeck, who had his had knees hugged to his chest, legs crossed at the ankles.

Link quietly asked, "What would happen if I got separated from you? I mean, I want to stay with you, so how would I find you again?"

"... I think finding a safe place where we would get separated would be a good idea, so I could easily look around for you. But if you can't just find a safe place in general and wait for me, it'd be a good idea to find a spot where you can peek out. Go to sleep."

Link hugged himself tightly. At least there was a plan. That was good.

Linebeck showing Link those pictures felt like a step forward to the kid. They didn't seem to important, but the fact that Linebeck wanted to keep them safe meant that he cared about them. And now, he had a picture of Link. It must've meant that he cared more than he wanted to show. Link glanced away from Linebeck as thunder rumbled again, and he pressed his back against the wall. It started to rain not too soon after Link himself fell asleep.

Link woke up earlier than he would've liked. Assume it was just due to something brushing him, Link almost didn't hear Linebeck mumbling. Confused, Link leaned near him, checking to see if he was asleep or not. His breathing was slow, and his eyes were closed. The words were slurred and quiet, long pauses between short words or phrases. Link held his own breath, trying to hear Linebeck's mumblings.

It was quiet, but his voice was a smidge higher than usual, a strained note. "...N... no... I-I'm... sor... sorry..." Link tilted his head to the side, trying to listen closer. "Do... don't... le... leave... alone..." Linebeck whimpered. "Are... are... you... no..." He sounded scared. Link was tempted to try and wake him from what he presumed was a nightmare, but his tone shifted. A small smiled appeared on his gaunt face. "O-oh... missed... p-please... D... Dad..."

Link couldn't help but be surprised. Didn't Linebeck say he couldn't properly recall his parents? Tired of having to listen to Linebeck's slurring, he shook the boy awake. Linebeck jerked away are yawned, not seeming as angry about being woken up as Link expected. "Oh. Good morning."

Link blurted out, "You were dreaming! You were talking, too. One of the words you said was 'Dad'. I thought you couldn't remember your parents?"

Linebeck looked shocked, then sat up properly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think I... dream about them often. I might remember them subconsciously- only in dreams." He straightened his back and cleared his throat. "Well, it doesn't matter, now. My parents are dead. That's all in the past. It's not important any more. Shall we look for that house the key goes to?" He smiled brightly at Link, who nodded vigorously, already casting away the thoughts of Linebeck's sleep rambling. "Right, then! Let's go find it." Linebeck leapt to his feet, now energized, and helped Link up, ignoring the burning in his ankle. He pointed down the alleyway. "Full steam ahead!"


	10. Chapter 10

Link peered over the corner. They had found the right house after two days of walking there, then another of finding the right address. Linebeck left him in an alleyway near the house while he scouted it out. It was certainly a large home, at least bigger than the small home the he lived in with his family and the apartments he and Linebeck had been through. Linebeck asked Link if he wanted to knife while he was gone, but Link shook his head. He was still trying to get over when he stabbed that shopkeeper.

Linebeck had been gone for a few minutes by the time Link spotted a group lingering around the small area. He didn't recognize them until they strayed closer- the group from about a week ago, with the girl as the leader. They were walking around the small square, peering around every few seconds. Link ducked behind the wall when they glanced his way. Silently, Link started to beg for Linebeck to return soon.

As he had wished, Linebeck met back up with him a minute later. Before Link could speak, he briskly asked, "Did they see you? That- that group?" Link shook his head. "Good. I don't want them interfering. I hope they leave soon... they're going to screw everything up."

They waited until the group disappeared, and Linebeck led Link to the chosen house. He situated Link at a window, and told him to be quiet. "They're not at their house, and I need you to knock on the window if you see a family coming to the house. I'll keep this window open so I can escape, and if I come through here, no matter what, go with me. I'll only go through the window when leaving." Link nodded obediently.

Linebeck smiled and dashed off around the corner, leaving Link to stand on his tip-toes and peer into the living room of the house. It looked nice, a large, open room with couches and a fireplace, a couple open doorways leading into other rooms of the house. Nothing happened for a few minutes, then Linebeck sneaked through one of the doorways. Link waved at him, stepping back as Linebeck walked up to the windows. With a small click, the window was unlatched, and Linebeck opened it, the two halves swinging out towards Link.

Linebeck turned around in the living room. He was going to find some money, some food, and new clothes for him and Link. Hopefully something of the right size and color. Not that it was likely. There was nothing of value on the way in, and not much to see in the living room. His leg still burned, so he glanced around, limping over to a desk and pulling the drawer out. Hopefully, he could find some sort of healing ointment, as well. Potions were an option, but those tended to be very expensive, and for good reason. He and Link had used up a fair bit of their money on better bandages the other day.

Nothing in the drawer besides a bunch of writing items, paper and pencils. Useless to them. He checked the rest of the drawers in the living room, and the most useful thing he found was a lighter. It looked new, too. He stuffed it in a coat pocket, then moved on to the kitchen. It was nice, and Linebeck immediately walked back out. He was going to need some sort of bag for this stuff. Upstairs would be a good place to check. The house wasn't too big at first glance, but certainly better than the two-room shacks lining the city wall. Linebeck went up the stairs he passed on the way in, trying to stay as quiet as possible.

There were three rooms in the upstairs, two bedrooms and a bathroom. Linebeck checked out the bathroom first, luckily finding a small container of healing ointment- though most of it was gone. Either way, he stuffed it in another coat pocket and moved onto the smaller bedroom. It seemed to be an older kid's room, older than Linebeck, most likely. He ignored the main room and ducked into the closet. All of the clothes would probably be too big for Link, but it wouldn't hurt to look.

He was right, everything was too big for Link, and a bit too wide for Linebeck. He did, however, find a messenger bag in good shape. While looking it over, Linebeck put a few of his things in it and slung it over his shoulder. Might as well check in with Link really quick. He dashed back downstairs, and found Link sitting just under the window. "Psst! Hey, kid!"

Link peered up at him. "Oh. Are you done?"

"No, but I got some stuff for my leg, a lighter, and a bag. Just give me a few minutes, ok? Anything bad happen?"

Link glanced to the side, at the square. "A couple phantoms with dogs showed up here, but I doubt they're here for us. Try and hurry up, ok? I don't want you to get hurt by staying too long and getting caught." Linebeck nodded and turned back to the living room.

He returned to the second floor and dug through the other bedroom, most likely the parents' room. Nothing of value aside from a pair of boots that were his size, which he stole and stuffed haphazardly into his bag. Back downstairs, Linebeck silently checked on Link again, then dug around in the kitchen. Before stealing any food, Linebeck took a few plastic bags, knowing from past experience that the food would last longer in those. An older kid he met when he was new on the streets told him about ways to preserve food.

Linebeck stole some small oranges, he couldn't recall the name of them, filling one of the bags with them. He had two more, not risking taking too many of them. Linebeck checked a tall cabinet and found a metal bottle- most likely for holding water. That went in the bag as well as a few bread rolls. This family had plenty of food. Linebeck glanced warily out the windows facing the square. Those phantoms where peering around- and they spotted him.

Panic flaring up, Linebeck abandoned the cabinet and ran to the window, hearing shouting and barking from the phantoms and their dogs. Link was backing up from the window getting a good look. Linebeck vaulted himself out the window, and sprinted down the alleyway, taking Link's hand and dragging him after. "Hurry up, those goddamn phantoms spotted me!" Link made no comment but sprinted with them.

The dogs behind them barked furiously, the phantoms gripping their leashes shouting and chasing after. Linebeck ignored the inferno of pain clawing at his leg and tugged Link around a corner, then another, hoping for a chance to hide. They stumbled to a stop upon reaching a crowded street. Link wrapped his arms around Linebeck's sleeve, peering around, scared. "Where do we go? We can't be caught..." He paused, then meant to say more, but Linebeck tugged him into the crowd. "What are you doing?" Link shouted at him above the cacophony of voices.

"The dogs will have a harder time picking up our scent," Linebeck shouted back. "Let's just go with the crowd and get out once we're safe." They weaved through the crowd, going with the flow rather than against. Peering around at the tall buildings lining the street, Linebeck worried that they might get lost, but reminded himself that they now had a map. Link clung to his sleeve tighter than ever, his eyes shut tight. Did he trust Linebeck that much, or was it because he hated the noise of the crowd?

The shouting of the phantoms and the barking of the dogs eventually stopped, and Linebeck led Link through the crowd for a minute longer, then hurried into an alleyway on the side. Linebeck gazed around the alley quickly, then pulled Link over to a ladder up to a roof. "C'mon, we've gotta repeat history for a moment, here!" He let Link up first, glancing to the side to see the crowd dispersing, people looking startled. "Shit, hurry up, hurry up, I think they're back on our trail..." Once Link was far enough above him on the shaky ladder, Linebeck started climbing up after him, his heart racing as the shouts and barking got louder.

Link made his way up onto the roof, the ladder shaking a bit as he got off. The top screws were loose. It looked like that was the only thing keeping the ladder up- how convenient. Then again, most ladders were like that. Reaching the roof, Linebeck fumbled with the screws, ending up jabbing his knife in the grooves and loosening them as quickly as he could. The group of phantoms entered the alleyway, and the leader, the one without a dog, pointed up at them and shouted something. Panic driving him to keep going, Linebeck unscrewed the first screw and tossed it away, working on the next.

Link shouted something at him, but he didn't catch it, too focused on the ladder. Linebeck, close to pulling the last screw off, turned and snapped at Link when the kid started to shake his shoulder. The phantoms had started to climb up the ladder, but Linebeck shoved the ladder to the side, the second screw finally out. He fell back, and Link leaned forward. The two of them heard the startled yells of the phantoms. "We should be safe for a bit..." Linebeck muttered as Link sat back near him. Goddesses, his wounded ankle burned like hell. He started to go through the messenger bag. "They might come up the stairs, but that gives us a few minutes. We'll need to move quickly." He pulled out the healing ointment, and the map and looked it over. He set it down on the ground so Link could see it, too.

Link laid down next to him and pointed at the area labeled 'park'. "Can we go there? It looks far away, but I want to see it."

Linebeck sat up, rubbing the ointment on his wound under the bandages and said, "Well, sure, but it'll be kinda dangerous to get there. Since those phantoms are gonna be following us around, and to make the trip shorter, we'll need to get on the train," He mumbled, running a finger along doodled train tracks on the paper. "The nearest station is a few miles from here, we should be able to find it tomorrow, and then check depart times. It stops near the park, so we can get off here," He pointed to a station close to the park. "and we'll be on our way."

By the time the phantoms got on top of the roof, the orphans were gone, having hopped down to a lower balcony and going down through the building. Linebeck led Link back down the road, following the map. The younger orphan was jogging a few feet behind him, stopping every once in a while, usually to look around for a bit. A few times, Linebeck had to drag him along, muttering, "We shouldn't waste any time, those phantoms could find us again." Eventually, Link kept pace with Linebeck, managing to hold his hand as they walked in a simple straight line.

"...The station is this way?" Link asked after a while, starting to feel tired. "My feet are starting to hurt." Without a word or a glance at Link, Linebeck jerked his hard away from Link and folded up the map. He pointed to an alleyway on the side, and the pair walked over.

"It's getting late," Linebeck mumbled. Link nodded and ran over to a small shelter. "Let's stay there, that's a good idea." The two of them huddled under it, and Link hugged himself tightly, pulling his beanie down over his ears. "Cold?" Linebeck asked. Link nodded. "Ok. Give me a second..." Linebeck reached into his coat and pulled out the lighter he had stolen.

Link stared at it, seeming to forget how cold he was for a moment. "Whoa, what's that?"

"A lighter. It should provide with a bit of fire..." Linebeck clicked it, and a tiny flame appeared. The two of the gasped, and Linebeck moved it around a bit watching the flame. "Holy shit, that's cool. I've never actually seen a lighter up close before. It's kinda warm." He clicked it again, and the flame disappeared. "Well, I'll get some food out. Bread or small orange?"

"Orange. I'm kinda thirsty. Link held out his hand, closing it around the small fruit Linebeck placed in his palm. Link picked at the peel, then mumbled, "How do I eat it? It looks different."

"That's the peel, it tastes bad." Linebeck took it back and pulled his knife out, then started to peel the orange. "The peel is edible, bit it's nasty. I still eat it sometimes if I get too hungry." He cut the last of the peel off, placing it on the ground, and handed the peeled orange back to Link. The kid nodded and mumbled a thanks and pulled one of the slices off.

While Linebeck peeled his own orange, Link softly asked, "Are these pre-sliced? That's weird. Because there's no way hylians sliced it, since the peel is still on."

Linebeck stopped peeling his orange for a moment and stared at Link. "What the hell, you're right." The two orphans stared at each other for a moment, then started laughing. They stopped when they heard footsteps nearby. Linebeck pushed Link against the wall and fumbled with the cloth on top of the shelter, pulling part of it down to cover the side and hide them from view. "Those might be more phantoms," Linebeck hissed, peeking through a rip in the cloth.

A group of three people stopped at the entrance to the alleyway, peering around, assume they were alone. The group was made up of two phantoms without dogs, talking to Bellum. Link started to talk, but Linebeck clamped a hand over his mouth, listening intently. One of the phantoms spoke first. "We found that group you wanted, but they got away from us. We-we were planning to keep looking for them but saw the former knife thief sneaking around in a house, so we had to chase him and his little friend for a bit. They got away, but-"

"But I don't give a damn!" Bellum snarled. "That group is your first and only priority. That boy and his friend are of no concern to us."

The other phantom, seeming a little more nervous under Bellum's anger, said, "But, sir, the dogs have their scent, and they were caught stealing. We need to hunt them down, that's a rule, no matter what the current priority is." They and the other phantom backed up a bit, and Linebeck saw that Bellum had his fists clenched at his sides.

"Fine," Bellum growled. "Go after them, but only those with the dogs that chased them. I want the rest of you to track down that damn group. I don't want them with that knife any longer, if they figure it out, we'll be in big trouble. Go, now! I want you shits to track them down by the end of November. It should be easier once it starts snowing. Get moving! Now!" The two phantoms sprinted down the road, and out of sight. Bellum lingered back, watching them.

Link sneezed.

Bellum's harsh gaze snapped to the side, searching the alleyway. Linebeck shuffled back a bit, keeping his hand over Link's mouth to keep him silent. The sound of metal footsteps against the concrete told the urchins that Bellum was moving down the alleyway. Linebeck dragged Link to the other side of the shelter, the large cloth covering that side and part of the front, a few other shelters in the alleyways would hopefully dissuade Bellum from looking and make him assume he had been hearing things.

Link whimpered, and Linebeck gently shushed him, watching Bellum through a tear in the cloth. The Warden slowly walked down the alley, peering into each shelter, hands clasped behind his back nonchalantly. His prior anger seemed to be gone. Or he was hiding it. Link whimpered again, and Linebeck felt his heart rate slowly rise, and the way he held Link against himself, the kid could probably hear it through his shirt. Bellum kicked a pebble, the small rock bouncing down and stopping in front of Link and Linebeck's shelter. Linebeck held his breath, watching Bellum through the tear until he was out of view, only a few feet from their flimsy hiding spot.

Link let out another whimper as Bellum stopped right in front of their shelter. Linebeck had started to tremble, but he wasn't sure if it was from fear, or... Bellum paused, then left. He walked away. He didn't even check. Did he know they were there? What was the point if he was going to stop right in front of them- hopefully, he assumed that he had been hearing things.

Linebeck felt his hand slip from Link's mouth, Link shifting back into Linebeck. Bellum left the alleyway. Linebeck pushed Link away and leaned out of the shelter, watching Bellum leave, bewildered. Beside him, Link whispered, "What the he-"

Linebeck put his hand over Link's mouth again. "Don't," he murmured.

Confused, Link pulled Linebeck's hand from his mouth. "Why? You say that stuff all the time, why can't I?"

"They're considered bad words, you really shouldn't use them around adults or in serious situation, shit like that."

"Then why do you say them?"

"Habit. It's fun. Learned behavior. You don't say them. Now... what the hell was that, just now?"

Link shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "That was really scary. I thought he would hurt us or drag us away. I mean, we were caught stealing from a house and chased around. Why do you think he left us alone?"

Linebeck didn't answer. He sat next to Link with a blank look in his eyes. Eventually, he snapped back to life and said, "Well, anyways, I also got a water bottle from the house, so we can carry water around."

Link nodded. He hugged himself, cold. "Hey, how did your parents die?"

Linebeck shrugged and started to rub the back of his neck. "Sickness, I think. I somehow didn't get sick with them. I'm not sure how. But, yeah, I think it was sickness."

"Is there a way to check that?" Link asked. "Like, a way to see their date of death and cause? So… we can figure this out for you? Because you don't seem to know." He leaned against Linebeck. "I also wanna see what my family died from."

"We'll do that maybe in a few months," Linebeck murmured. "You should get some sleep." He laid his arm across Link's shoulders. "Go to sleep. We'll hopefully reach the train station tomorrow."

Link nodded, letting himself drift into the sleep while he sat leaning against the older orphan, not quite as cold now.


	11. Chapter 11

Link and Linebeck sprinted across a road, stopping at the other end and panting. Link tugged at one of Linebeck sleeves, and gasped, "Why are we running? You don't even know when the train leaves..."

Linebeck stood up straighter, stretching, his panting having been shorter-lived than Link's. "Well, exactly. For all we know, it could be leaving right now. The trains leave every day, but the one to the park passes through each station only once per day on the way there, and vice-versa. I just want to get there as quickly as possible just in case." He tugged on Link's arm, and they continued to run in the direction that Linebeck assume would lead them to their destination. He glanced up at the cloudy sky for a moment.

It was early in the morning, and Linebeck had woken Link up an hour ago. They ate some of the bread and were on their way, Linebeck not bothering to remove the bandages from his mostly-healed leg. Link mentioned their small interaction with Bellum, but Linebeck didn't seem to have much say on the topic.

They sprinted up some stairs to a small plaza. Link looked around, a few people were out and about, most notably a small group, most likely a family, with a dog on a leash. Link peered around, and Linebeck muttered, "Ohhh, fountain." They both jogged up to a fountain in the middle, and Link suddenly remembered how thirsty he was. He didn't think about it much, didn't want to be a bother or burden to Linebeck, so he didn't complain much about hunger or thirst. Link bent over the water, staring in, and Linebeck cupped his hands and dipped them in the water. The water collected in his palms, and he fairly noisily drank it up. "Nice, it's cold, it's the good shit, hell yes..."

Link giggled and watched him drink from his hands again, then pulled the water bottle out, dunking it under the water. Link drank directly from the fountain, wetting his bangs as they hung down. Once the canteen was full, Linebeck shoved it back in the bag, ignoring how wet it was, and went back to drinking from the fountain. He stopped before Link did, and waited next to him, arms crossed on the fountain's edge. When Link was done, his face was soaked. "You cold?" Linebeck asked, amused.

Link nodded and let out a whine as Linebeck started to dry off his face with his coat sleeve. While drying him off, Linebeck said, "I don't need you getting a cold, ok? Pull your beanie back over your ears, it'll keep you warmer until we get to the train station. It's usually pretty warm around the trains..." Link nodded, stumbling back and messing with his hair. "I think I'm dry enough."

The two of them smiled at each other, and Linebeck glanced around. "This place is nice." Linebeck nodded. "It's peaceful," Link continued. "That dog is cute." Linebeck nodded again and sat with his back to the fountain. He rolled up his pant leg and checked his wound, moving aside the bandages. The wound had mostly healed. Damn, that ointment really did work. Good thing they still had some left. Link sat down next to him, and stared at the patch of skin, the wound nothing more than a thin cut, now. "Whoa. How'd that happen?"

"We got a healing ointment," Linebeck explained. "I got it from that house. We should use it sparingly, make it last, since we don't have much left, about a fifth of the container." He stared around, then got to his feet. "Let's keep going." Link nodded and took his hand. He'd started to hold Linebeck's hand more often, and the young teen didn't seem to mind as much. A few times he would still shake Link's hand off, but it was usually around more people that he did that. They quickly left the square and resumed running. It started to lightly rain a minute later.

Link held on tightly to Linebeck's hand, then asked, "Hey, are we also running to keep the phantoms and their dogs away from us? Outrunning them?"

"Yeah. The train will also screw with our scent and get those damn dogs off our trails. The trains are kinda bad-smelling, so that will make us smell a bit like them." They ran until the fountain was no longer within view, and Linebeck had Link stop in an alleyway. He pulled out the map, and Link peered around the street they were on.

"Hey, Linebeck?" Link asked.

"What do you want?"

"What's with that huge crowd of people?" He pointed down the street, a crowd of people like yesterday walking down their way. Linebeck stared down at them, too.

"I think the shops along here are opening. People like to come early. C'mon we'll need to cross here to reach the station." He straightened his bag, then moved to walk over when Link tugged on his sleeve getting him to stop. "What?" he asked, this time more irritated. Link pointed at a pile of cloth nearby. Linebeck watched silently as Link walked over to it and kneeled down. "Why." It wasn't even a question.

Link dug through the cloth, saying, "I saw something in here, it looked kinda green. Hang on, I wanna find it." Linebeck crossed his arms, feeling a slight chill from the rain as it started to come down faster. Eventually, Link pulled out a little plushie dog, the formerly brown fur faded to a greenish color. Linebeck went to say something but felt a pang in his heart and stopped. Link held it up, hugging it. "Can I keep it?"

"...Sure. You've got to name it, though."

Link held it out and stared at it for a moment. "...Rainbakku. Yeah."

Linebeck let out a short laugh. "Ok, sure. Weird name, but whatever. Let's go. Put it in my bag, I'll carry it, so that way you don't lose it." He held out the messenger bag, expecting Link to put his newly named plushie in. The kid hesitated for a moment, then hugged it back to his chest. Linebeck scowled. "C'mon, you're going to lose it otherwise-"

"I don't just want you to stuff him in there!"

Linebeck sighed heavily. "I'll be careful, I promise. You can watch me if you want to."

Link paused, then said, "I'll put him in." Linebeck kept the bag open while Link gently placed the stuffed animal in, moving stuff to make room. He finally let Linebeck close the bag when he was satisfied. "There. He'll be comfortable." Linebeck snorted and started to drag Link back to the street. The crowd was crossing the street, but Linebeck dragged the two of them through the people, his grip on Link's hand made of iron. They cleared the street quickly, and once again broke into a run. They stopped after turning a few alleyway corners, and almost slammed into the back of another orphan.

Linebeck staggered back a few steps, staring around at the small group of orphans. Goddesses, he seemed to run into them a lot. It was the same group that they saw soon after Linebeck meeting Link, and they had seen them while Linebeck was going through the house... but there was only three of them. Where were the others? The trio turned and backed up themselves, and the little girl stood in front of them. She looked to be barely older than Link. "Who are you two?" she asked. Definitely around Link's age.

Link clung tightly to Linebeck's sleeve. Scowling, Linebeck muttered, "Doesn't matter. We're just passing through." He tried to move to the side, but the whole group, the three of them, shifted in the way. "Could you pricks move? We're just passing through, that's all it is." He glared at each of the three members, from the short and more spry looking kid, to the taller and more built-up one. They weren't as tall as Linebeck, who was extremely tall for his own age, but were most likely older than him. The girl was probably the youngest but looked to be the leader.

"I've seen you before," The girl muttered.

"Yeah, you stole a knife from me," Linebeck snapped. He eyed the knife in question, tied to a belt that looked to be a little bigger than she needed.

She blinked, then smiled mischievously. "Oh, you're that sad sod we stole this from. Any idea why we've got Bellum's dogs on our tail for taking this?"

One of the taller kids on her side added, "We heard that you were being chased because of that knife, and we took it a bit before finding her," He said, gesturing to the girl. He paused, then asked the girl, "Maybe we should introduce ourselves to them?" She shrugged, then nodded. "Right, then." He stepped up, wearing a red bandanna on his head, and said, "I'm Gonzo. Niko is the shorter one over here." The shorter kid nodded, also wearing a bandanna.

The girl crossed her arms and glanced up at Linebeck. "And I'm Tetra. I run this group. In case you're wondering, the rest of us got caught. We're trying to get them out. Stupid Warden..." She glanced around Linebeck, at Link. "What's he doing with you? I thought you were a lone wolf, that's what I've seen and heard."

Linebeck shrugged, ignoring Link as the kid hugged him around the waist. "Just some other kid, I have to keep him around me, so he doesn't die. I don't even want him around me," He lied, almost convincing himself. "He's useful. Nothing more." Link mumbled something, and the older kids all looked down at him. "What?" Linebeck asked.

Link glanced away sheepishly and said a bit louder, "He's my brother." He then looked up at Linebeck. "You're my brother." Link hugged him tighter and ignored everyone staring at him. Linebeck wanted to say something, anything that would deny that statement, to force himself to disagree entirely. Nothing came to mind. He glared back over at the small group.

"Mind if you let us through?" He asked, starting to walk closer to them, Link continuing to cling to him. "We've got a goddamn train to catch. None of your business." To his surprise the group moved out of the way.

"Matter of fact, we're going to the train station as well," Tetra said. She started to walk after Link and Linebeck, her own group following behind. Linebeck glared back at them, and Link removed his arms from around his waist.

Linebeck sighed. "The station should be a few miles from here. Why exactly are you guys going for the train? The prison isn't on any of the designated paths."

"Yeah, but it'll work as a shortcut. We know a place to jump off on near the prison. It's past the main shop district," Gonzo explained. Link took Linebeck's hand silently. The rain slowed down a bit, Linebeck becoming more aware of the cold. There was a chance it would start snowing within a week or two. He reached up and fidgeted with his scarf. They left the alleyway together, Linebeck having the feeling that he was the most against this hopefully temporary team up as they walked through the alleyways.

Tetra had his knife. The knife that he took with him from Bellum, his first claim to fame out on the streets. He wanted to take it back, to snatch it from her belt, to reclaim it and run. It was his, after all. Well, it was Bellum's, but he didn't see the Warden use it. Tetra (Or her group, really- she looked to be too young to have been on the streets when he lost the knife) stole it when he was asleep. Hardly fair. If he was sneaky enough, he could probably steal if back just before Tetra and her group jumped off the train.

Linebeck pulled out the map, holding it steady with one hand as Link was holding his other hand. They weren't too far from the station, just a few more minutes of walking. It was about a mile away from where they were. The five of they barely talked aside from Linebeck occasionally muttering something to himself. Link glanced up at him questioningly but didn't say anything to him. After some time, Linebeck took a sharp turn, and the group behind him and Link started to shout.

"What are you doing?" Tetra asked loudly. "It's this way, you idiot. Maybe your map isn't so-"

"It's a shortcut, princess," Linebeck muttered dryly. He showed the map off for a moment then folded it back up. "You don't want to go this way, you don't have to, fine by us." He and Link continued down their path, and the other group unsurprisingly followed them. The five of them passed by a kid huddled under a shelter, who stared at them as they passed.

"We've got a few minutes 'til the station." Linebeck glanced over his shoulder, watching the three they had picked up. Link seemed comfortable or at least tolerable of them.

Soon enough, the group heard a group of people nearby, and Linebeck started to run along the path. The other followed, Link asking, "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to make it there; it sounds like the train is getting started. We need to hurry if that's true." Linebeck glanced back at the group, Niko and Gonzo keeping pace and Tetra at their heels. The fact that she was keeping up with them was impressive, as Link had started to cling to Linebeck's sleeve as a way to keep up.

Linebeck led them out onto a crowded street, and bit back rather nasty word, making a mental note to never bother saying it. He shoved through the crowd, gripping Link's hand, shouting at people to get out of the way. A few times, he got shouted at in turn, and flinched each time. The station was so close, the train was in the station. People rubbed up against the two orphans as they got onto the platform, the young teen involuntarily and habitually flinching away from each touch. He didn't care about the other urchins, right now he wanted to get him and Link on that train. A few times, Link hand slipped from his, but the younger urchin would claw at his hand and get a grip again.

Linebeck was at least as tall as many of these adults' shoulders, so he hopped up a few times, looking, looking... there! One of the doors to a middle care was open, and not too many people were pouring in, if anything, it was damn near empty. Linebeck started to pull a protesting Link in its direction. Most people didn't take notice of him. In his time on the streets, a few times, some adults assumed he was over eighteen, and wouldn't bother him much.

They shoved through the crowd and stumbled into the car. It looked like a storage car, with bags and items. Wrong car, but it would work. The doors remained open, and the two of them hid in a corner, Linebeck peering out a few times. Where were the others? If they were coming with, where the hell were they-

As if on cue, the three of them dashed in and hid across from Link and Linebeck. "Hey," said Tetra. "We made it."

Gonzo and Niko both nodded, relaxing and sitting back. Linebeck watched the doors close a few minutes later, and the train started moving. Link huddled next to him, and Linebeck pulled out the map, tracing their path.


	12. Chapter 12

Link couldn't fall asleep; the train ride was bumpy and loud, so he ended up hugging Rainbakku, the raggedy little dog plush. Tetra, Niko, and Gonzo paced around, and Tetra watched Linebeck go over his map multiple times, muttering to himself. "What are you doing?" Tetra asked.

Linebeck shrugged. He peered up with a look that bordered on disdainful. "Checking the path. It seems this is connected to another train, going a bit farther, and it should disconnect in about thirty minutes. We've got about an hour and a half before we get to our stop. Got that, kid?" He gently elbowed Link, who blinked, then nodded. Linebeck nodded back and looked up at the other kids. "Yeah, he's not listening. How old are you guys? I'm curious."

Gonzo spoke up first, sitting down on a small tower of stacked-up suitcases. "I'm about sixteen. My parents tossed me out when I was ten."

Niko, who had really only spoken once or twice, said, "I'm around eleven. My parents tossed me out, too, when I was eight. I met Gonzo soon after."

Tetra sat down on the floor and simply said, "I'm six."

"She's the younger sister of Zelda," Gonzo added. "She left because she was tired of being cooped up and wanted to go on the streets. She tried to return home last year but wasn't allowed to."

The train lurched slightly, Link banging his head on the wall. He whined and rubbed the back of his head, muttering, "Ow, ow, ow..." Linebeck turned to him and gently rubbed the spot but kept his eyes on Tetra. "You left? What was your reason other than feeling too cooped up and adventurous? Seems a bit stupid for it just to be that."

The girl shrugged. "Well, that was my reason. Zelda was pretty strict anyways, didn't talk to me much."

Linebeck snorted. "Damn. How busy was she? I'd assume she'd have time to interact with you if her work times are the same as Bellum's and Ganondorf's." He stopped rubbing the bump on the back of Link's head and simply kept a hand on his shoulder while the kid leaned against him, how holding out the little stuffed animal and playing with the floppy ears.

Tetra shrugged simply. "Dunno, but I didn't see her much. That's all. How about you two? How old are you and why are you out here? What's your relationship?"

Linebeck pulled his hand away from Link, who spoke. "I've been out here for about..." He glanced up at Linebeck, who said and did nothing. "I think about three weeks. I met Linebeck really soon after leaving. I left because my family died of sickness, I'm five years old."

"And I'm about twelve, I've been on the streets for about four years. I left home after my parents died from sickness. I guess we could have a bit of a... brotherly relationship, but he cares more than I do. I mean, we've only known each other for three weeks, he's really, really damn clingy." Linebeck glanced down at Link who seemed to be yet again trying to sleep. He inhaled loudly, then looked back up at the others. "Well, why are we in the same train? Aren't we going to different places? The train you want to be riding on is connected to this one."

Gonzo, Niko, and Tetra all shared a glance, each of them wearing a different expression on their faces. Link glanced up at Linebeck, a bit worried. Linebeck himself asked, "What, what is it? I don't like the looks on your faces." His blood turned to ice. "What?'

Tetra shrugged, and Niko quietly said, "Uh... this is our train. This is the right one for us. The one you guys want is in front of this one. You've got about fifteen minutes to make it there." Linebeck leapt to his feet, startling Link.

He stared around, then glared at the three other orphans. "Are you kidding?! You didn't tell us! We're on the wrong damn train?" He tugged Link to his feet, and asked, "How exactly are you sure?"

Tetra shrugged. "Well, the trains are numbered, right?"

"Well, obviously," Linebeck snapped heatedly. The clattering of the train on the tracks seemed louder than before to him, buzzing in his ears.

Tetra sighed. "This is train 10, the one you want is train 11. It's the one in front of this. If you guys want to make it in time, you'll have to climb up on top and jump to the next train before it splits." Next to her, Gonzo pointed up at the roof of the car they were hiding in, where a hatch was in the roof. That would lead onto the top of the train. Providing they would be able to reach it.

Linebeck peered around the room, starting to pace, and Link worriedly asked, "We have to go out on top? But the train's moving. How would we stay on, or manage to jump to the other train?" The train shook a bit, knocking a few small boxes off the stacked cases and onto the metal floor.

Linebeck stared at them, then at Link. "Give me the plushie, it'll be safer in my bag." He held out a hand, expecting Link to place the little stuffed animal in his palm.

Link regarded his hand, then hugged Rainbakku to his chest. "Why can't I just carry him?"

Linebeck sighed, his left eyelid twitching slightly out of irritation. "Look, if you hold it up on top of the train, you'll lose it." Link squeezed the plushie tighter, glaring at Linebeck's outstretched hand. Teeth now gritted, Linebeck fought to keep his voice calm. "Kid, I don't want to argue. It's pretty damn windy up there. You can watch me, I'll put it in the bag carefully." Finally, Link hesitantly handed it back to Linebeck, and the young teen gently placed the stuffed animal in his messenger bag. "Thanks. Now, I've got a plan for getting up on the roof," Linebeck said, and glanced around the train car. "and I'll need all of your guy's help for this."

They are exchanged confused glances, and Linebeck sighed. "Well, I mostly need Gonzo since he looks to be the strongest. I just need to stack up a few of these cases and boxes to reach that door. If you help us..." Linebeck held out his arms. "We'll be in your debt. We'll owe you, if you need!" Like hell they would. At least that got their attention. They all started to move luggage and boxes to the middle of the room. At one point, Linebeck stumbled into Tetra, who shouted at him and shoved him away.

Soon enough, there was a messy but tall pile in the middle of the car, and Linebeck backed up from it. "Oh, that's good." Linebeck glanced sideways at Link. "You wanna go first? Though, it'll be easier if I went first."

Link nodded. "Yeah. If you go first, I think you can pull me up, right?" Linebeck nodded and clambered on top of the pile. The train jostled, shifting the items, and Linebeck bit back a scared yelp. Most of the things in the car had been moved to the pile. Anything else was either left as it was or tossed carelessly to a corner. The trio they met up with watched Linebeck from the side, and Link was near the base of the mess.

The hatch was a few feet above him, so Linebeck crawled over a few suitcases to the top of the pile. It shook, but Linebeck managed to get to his unsteady feet and reached up to the door. If he pushed on it, that should open it. He placed his palms against it, then shoved upwards, standing up straighter. It opened quickly, and the wind kept it open for him. Shouldn't be too hard for him to get up there. He gripped the edge of the opening and slowly pulled himself up, swinging a leg onto the roof and clawing his way onto the top.

The wind made his coat billow out behind him, hair whipping around and getting in his eyes. He knelt down next to the door, peering back down into the car. Link was working on getting up the ramshackle pile. Link reached the top and reached up to the opening, and Linebeck got down on his knees, grabbing his upper arms; that was as far as he could reach. He slowly and painstakingly pulled Link up, the kid not as heavy as Linebeck expected him to be, but, hey, they were homeless and getting about a little less than one meal per day. Now that he thought about it, the kid never complained about it.

Link clawed at the edges of the opening, Linebeck shifting his grips from Link's arms to his waist and pulling him onto the top. Link let out a little grunt as Linebeck let go of him and shuffled back. "Well, we're up here," Linebeck murmured. He sat up and fought the wind as he shut the roof access door.

Link looked up, squinting against the wind, and shouted, "Which way do we go? Why's it so windy? The train's not moving that fast, is it?" He started to stand up, then stumbled back a bit. Linebeck got to his feet beside him.

He pointed down the train. "We need to go this way. C'mon, just follow me." He started on his way down the train, checking back every few seconds to make sure that Link was keeping up well enough. It wasn't too hard aside from having to continue squinting, but they reached the end of the first car soon enough. About a foot between theirs and the one in front. Link took Linebeck hand while he peered down, the kid's face going white as a sheet. "Scared?" Linebeck asked, glancing over at Link. He felt shaky himself but learned to hide it. Goddesses, he'd heard of so many things going wrong after kids trying to jump from car to car, or train to train. They don't make it and get trampled, break a bone but make it, get caught only to get thrown off, so many horrible things.

He didn't realize he'd started noticeably shaking until Link squeezed his hand. The little kid smiled up at him. "Hey, I bet it'll be fine. We'll all be fine. You, me, and Rainbakku." Linebeck smiled weakly, and carefully stepped from their car to the next, the gap small enough to allow it. Link followed suit, and they let go of each other's hands and ran to the next one. Before jumping to the next, Linebeck checked back over his shoulder to make sure that Link was keeping up. Once satisfied, Linebeck hopped over to the next car and kept running.

After a few modest hops, Linebeck broke into a full run, jumping and keeping his momentum after hitting the next car roof. He didn't slow except for glances back to check up on Link. The kid looked more confident than Linebeck felt. His heart was racing, palms sweaty and shaky. The only thing from keeping him from mulling over everything that could go wrong was checking back at Link and thinking about what they'd do in the park.

The first car was coming up, the coal car in front of it. Linebeck knew enough about coal to know it would be bad to be in that car for too long. He'd have to wait for Link. Linebeck hopped a few more cars, getting fleeting glances at the passing city. This was more a residential area, houses littering the area. Near the park there were larger roads and floral shops. Not near here. He reached the coal cart and whipped around, keeping an eye on Link. He was carefully jumping over the gaps, sprinting over, the determined look on his face visible from a few cars away. Link's bravery was admirable.

Linebeck held out his hands and Link approached, and said, "This is the coal car, we need to be really careful with this one, ok? Let me go first. Try not to breathe in any dust. I don't want to deal with you getting sick or anything." Link nodded without much hesitation, and Linebeck took a deep breath before jumping in. There was a bit of weightlessness and he fell, then pain. Nothing horrible, but he felt badly bruised. He started to climb up the pile, the coal shifting and sliding under his hands. It was uncomfortable and again, painful, but he forgot the pain as there was the sound of another person jumping into the car behind him.

Linebeck bit his bottom lip. "Dammit kid, I told you to wait until I was done." He leapt forward a bit, near the top of the car.

"Sorry, but I didn't want to waste any time!" Link could be heard shuffling around behind Linebeck, grunting with the shifting of the coal. Linebeck clawed his way up on the rim of the coal car, the surfaced was luckily a few feet wide. He waited on his knees until Link got close and pulled the younger orphan up with him. They jumped to the first car, the metal warm until his hands, but Linebeck got up on his feet quickly and stopped at the edge of the car. A few feet to the next train, that'd be one hell of a jump. His breath caught in his chest as he spotted the place where the trains go on different paths in the distance.

Link, on the other hand, moved to jump. "Wait!" Linebeck blurted out, pulling him back. "Let me go first. I've got longer legs and can make the jump easier, and I can help you up when you jump." Link pouted, but let the older urchin go first. Linebeck took a deep breath, trying to focus on the other train, not the tracks down below. He backed up a few steps, trying to estimate how much of a running start would be needed to clear the distance. Screw it. He took another deep breath, then sprinted.

Link stumbled back as Linebeck passed him, and he leapt for his life. For a fleeting moment, Linebeck thought he wouldn't make it, thought he'd be just too short and die under the train... then he slammed into the back car, his ribcage aching and burning from the impact. Linebeck clawed breathlessly at the car roof and swung his legs over the edge. A sigh of relief got out as he stood, hugging himself around the waist. He glanced back at Link, the kid's face white from fear, but the determined look still remaining. Linebeck let out a small chuckle. Link was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Perhaps both. "Your turn, kid!" Linebeck shouted above the howling wind.

Link nodded, then backed up just like Linebeck did. He set off running quicker than Linebeck had hoped, and his heart seemed to leap into his throat. That wouldn't be enough of a running start. No, no, no... that wasn't enough, but there was no stopping him now...

Link took the leap, reaching for the car Linebeck was on. It wasn't enough. He was at least two feet short. He seemed to realize it midair, and a look of complete and utter terror and despair replaced the one of determination and fearlessness. Time seemed to slow for Linebeck, and he nearly threw himself off the train, reaching for one of Link's outstretched hands. If he could just reach...

He grabbed onto one of Link's hands, and almost fell off the train. Holding on tightly to Linebeck, Link swung forward and slammed into the side of the car, letting out a sharp yelp. Linebeck's arm strained from Link's weight, but he painstakingly started to lug him up. It was hard keeping his balance, if he leaned to far forward, he'd fall and the both of them would die. The blood was roaring in his ears, so close to having the both of them safe. Link grabbed onto the edge of the car roof when close enough to it, allowing Linebeck to get away from the edge.

With one last tug, Link stumbled onto the roof with Linebeck, his breathing ragged and covering up the fact that he was rather noticeably on the verge of tears. The train turned a corner and continued on a different path than the one they had jumped off of. Linebeck's relief washed over him like icy water, making him shudder a bit. His gaze snapped down to Link, who had started to audibly sob. "Hey, uh, kid...?"

All of a sudden, Link wrapped his arms around Linebeck, embracing him tightly while he sobbed into his chest. He was clearly still terrified from his brush with death. Not surprising, Linebeck was still shaken up himself. That was too close. He'd only known Link for, what had he said... three weeks? Going on four? Well, either way, he was more inclined to let Link stick around now more than ever. He hugged Link in return, stroking his wind-blown hair. "Hey, you're ok, you made it, you made it, you're fine, we're fine..."

Link nodded, but his sobbing continued. Linebeck murmured gently to him for a minute longer, then pulled away, allowing Link to keep clinging to him. Making sure to not brush against Link too much, he dug through the messenger bag. His hand closed around the dog plushie, and Link peered up slightly, watching him. "Wh-what are... y-you doing...?"

Linebeck shrugged, plucking Rainbakku from the bag and holding him near Link. "Just wondering if you'd want the plush." Link blinked lethargically, then slowly took the plush from Linebeck's hand. Tears were still streaming down his face, but he seemed to have calmed down a bit. He hugged the stuffed animal to his chest, keeping his forehead pressed against Linebeck's chest.

"That was scary..." Link rasped. "I thought I was gonna die." He peered tentatively up at Linebeck. "You saved me. Thanks."

"I... uh... I owed it to you."

Link nodded, then glanced around Linebeck, at the rest of the train. "So, uh, do we need to keep going...?" Linebeck nodded, then helped the still-shaky Link to his feet. "Oh. Ok. Can I still carry Rainbakku?"

"...Hold on to it tight," Linebeck muttered. "We can keep going for a bit, then I want to drop into one of the baggage trains. It'll be safer." Link nodded, and the pair of them continued down the new train, stopping at the first door in a car roof. Linebeck kneeled down next to it, pulling up on the handle and opening the hatch. "You go first."

Link nodded timidly and hopped down into the car, the plushie clutched tightly to his chest. His knees buckled on impact, and he stumbled to the ground. Linebeck jumped in after him, dropping in but hanging from the opening, then closed the door before dropping down. Link got to his feet, coughing. "Are you ok?" he asked, staring at Linebeck with wide eyes.

Linebeck nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "A bit sore, but good. How about you?"

"Still scared, but I think I'm ok," Link murmured. He sat down, shifting back so that he was against the wall. "Thanks for helping me, again." The response he got was a silent not from Linebeck.

For the next thirty minutes, they were quiet, not letting out any coherent words. Link muttered to himself a few times and seemed like he wanted to talk to Linebeck, but never got any proper words out. It was annoying to the older orphan. He was sifting through the luggage, trying to see if there was anything worth taking. Not much aside from clothes, but Linebeck found that useless. There was another tube of ointment, so he pocketed that along with some packages of crackers and dried fruit. Other than that, there wasn't much they would find worth taking. Oh, that reminded him. "Hey, kid, do you think we'll run into that group again?"

Link nodded. "I hope we do. They seemed pretty cool. Hopefully we might be able to team up with them at some point."

With a disdainful curl of his lip, Linebeck drawled, "They barely seemed worth it. I barely hear about them, anyways. We don't need to run into them though, again." A smile replaced his bitter sneer, and he sat down in front of Link. "I got what I wanted from them anyways."

Link didn't react after a few moments, then tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean? They didn't give us anything or anything like that."

Linebeck shrugged. "Yeah, they didn't give us anything. But I did steal something." He reached into his coat and brandished a knife Link hadn't seen before. The blade was longer than the one stolen from a house, the hilt adorned with small jewels. Link gawked at it, and Linebeck turned it over in his hands. "Yeah, I managed to steal back that knife that they stole from me. They might come after us for it, but we could stay away from them easily. Not that they were doing anything with it."

The knife was put away, and Link relaxed against the wall of the car. "Well, that's cool. When should the train stop? I'm tired."

"It should be a few minutes. When the train stops, give me the stuffed animal and I'll keep it safe for you. That fine?" Link nodded. "Good. I guess we'll explore the park a bit and find a few places to stay, and we can go around this part of the city if you want."

"...Can we help that group? With releasing their friends?"

Linebeck hesitated, then sighed. "I mean, it would be dangerous. At the best, we can keep an eye on them providing we catch when they do it. The park is close to the prison... if you want, I could at least show it to you."

The train jostled again, Link grimacing. "Sure. Have you ridden on these trains before?"

Linebeck nodded. "Yeah, a few times." He chuckled. "I've just never had to run across the top with another kid, y'know? That was new." Link laughed quietly as well, then fell silent again. Linebeck sighed and sat next to him, and they waited out the rest of the duration of the train ride.


	13. Chapter 13

The train doors opened, and Link and Linebeck sprinted out before they could be caught or identified. The station was pretty bare, a few people wandering around or boarding or leaving the train. The station opened into a dirt street that was in between the rest of the city and the park area. Linebeck rushed Link out of there, and right into the park. Link was empty-handed, his plush tucked safely in Linebeck's messenger bag.

The park was large, but a lot was visible from their vantage point. Fully-grown and sapling trees dotted the grassy land, all of them bare, leaves in a pile at the roots. There were a few people walking on the paths, kids wandering around, either orphans or with their parents, and a few animals sniffing at the leaf piles. Link gawked at it, then hopped a bit out of excitement. "It's so pretty! Lots prettier than the city! I like the leaf piles a lot. I want to jump into one!"

Linebeck smiled and jogged after Link as the orphan ran across the street and up to one of the leaf piles. Link stopped at the edge and kicked a leaf, a nearby scrawny cat freezing and watching Link closely. Linebeck stopped next to Link with a smile. "I don't recommend jumping in. It would be wet, there could be insects... all kinds of shit. Literally and figuratively." Link nodded slowly, then glanced sideways at the skinny cat.

Linebeck bit his bottom lip as Link crouched down a bit. "Hi, kitty! What are you doing here? You look really skinny, are you homeless like us? Do you have an older brother to take care of you, or are you the older?"

"I think that's a girl cat," Linebeck muttered. "Seems a bit less friendly and looks small in general. But I don't know. I've only read a few books about cats." Link ignored him and held out his hand towards the stray. The cat flattened its ears, but didn't move, green eyes fixed on Link's coal-stained hand. "Kid..." Linebeck stared between Link and the cat.

Link moved close to the cat again and patted it on the head. The cat hissed and spat, throwing its head back and biting Link's hand. Link yelped, trying to pull his hand away, but only managing to lengthen the scratches and making the cat bite down harder. Linebeck bent down near the cat, his hands shaking, and pried the cat's mouth open, and shoved it away. "Go to hell, you stupid little fur-ball!" He turned to Link, who was shaking and clutching his bleeding hand, tears in his eyes. Crouching down next to him and inspecting the bite, he halfheartedly joked, "You've had a pretty shitty day, huh?" The teary-eyed glare that Link gave him shut him up for the next few minutes.

The bite was fairly deep, and it was bleeding fairly quickly from the cuts both on top of Link's hand and on the palm. Linebeck glanced around for a moment, then remembered the bandages on his ankle. Why the hell was he still wearing those? The wound had healed. He torn it off and started wrapping it around Link's hand, then pinned it together. That would stop the bleeding, but he wasn't sure about infection. Stray animal bits could cause problems. He wasn't sure if the ointment would ward off sickness, either. It didn't seem bad enough to sacrifice some of it. He helped Link to his feet. "Try to be careful with that hand for a bit. There are a few plazas around here, where kids set up shelters against low walls. We should try and find one of those."

Link nodded a bit dejectedly but followed Linebeck nonetheless. He cheered up after seeing a puppy playing with a few of the kids in the park, a small, yappy little thing with longish hair and a short tail. "I'm gonna take a wild guess," Linebeck said, "and say that you like dogs better than cats. S-since before today, I mean."

"Dogs. They're cute and are friendlier."

"I like cats. They can be friendly, too. I remember seeing a cat wandering around when I was younger, and it let me pet it."

"Really?! It didn't bite you or anything?"

"Nope. It just sat there and let me pet it. It even purred, too. It was a pretty skinny and dirty cat, a stray. I think it appreciated the attention. I've seen it on the streets a few times as well, it sticks around the middle. You might be able to meet it at some point." Linebeck kicked a small collection of leaves, the flame-colored leaves fluttering down around them like floating fire as they passed. He shoved his hands in his pockets, leering around. There were always a few phantom patrols around here, and they couldn't be caught now. He didn't need Link getting tossed in prison, even if it is usually for a day.

They came across a small square with a fountain, the cold gray colors contrasting with the autumnal oranges and reds of the rest of the park. He shivered, a cold wind rustling leaves on the ground. "It might snow soon. Hopefully, we can get near the library again by the time that happens."

Link matched pace with Linebeck, and asked, "Could we send them a letter? Like, telling them how we're doing? I'd like to do that. Do you think we can do that? I don't think we could get a response, though..." He peered hopefully up at Linebeck, still cradling his hurt hand.

Linebeck shrugged. "We've got the pencil and paper for it. Yeah, we could send them a letter. We've got the money needed, too. Let's find a place to rest, see what more we can do about your hand, then we'll see if we have the time to write a letter. Ok?"

Link nodded happily. "Ok! That looks like a good shelter." He pointed at a larger looking one in the square, and they ended up staying there for the night. Linebeck had Link rest against the wall while he inspected the ointment. Little healing things like those always mentioned the extent of the healing property.

Their newest tube of ointment was about half full, so it was easier to read. A list of ingredients, some notes on how it's made from potion ingredients... Linebeck turned it over and found what he was looking for on the other side. He mumbled what it read out loud so that Link could hear him. "...Fully heals minor wounds and assists larger wounds... Does not cure sickness. Shit. Let's hope you don't get sick, then."

Link nodded, clearly grateful for the information, but was unable to hide a worried expression. "Oh, don't be worried, kid. Just be careful, and you'll be fine. Here, let's start that letter." He placed their sheet of paper in front of Link, quietly amazed that it had lasted as long as it did. Link flattened it out on the stone ground while Linebeck dug through the bag for a pencil and pulled it out once Link got the paper to stop curling back up. "You can decide what to say, and I'll write. How's that?" Linebeck asked, already putting the lead to the paper.

Link nodded, leaning forward. "Uh... let's start out with saying that we're doing good! I mean, we are doing fine, and they'd be happy to hear that." Linebeck nodded, writing a greeting and that they were doing fine. "Um... also put that we found some supplies! Leave out the part about you stealing stuff, us getting hurt. Oh, leave out when Bellum almost caught us, too." Linebeck nodded, the scratching of the pencil against the paper barely audible above the wind and leaves floating around.

"How about..." Linebeck tapped the lead against the paper, thinking. "How about we mention that we met some other orphans that helped us out?" he proposed, already writing it down. "And we can say that we've made it to the park, safe and sound. And that we'll try and visit when it starts snowing. Sound good?" Link nodded, and Linebeck finished up the letter. "I think that's good. It's getting late."

Link peeked out of the shelter, up at the darkening sky. "Oh, yeah, it is. It's pretty cold. We can send the letter now. Where can you do that?"

Linebeck shuffled out of the shelter and pointed back towards the station. "There's a post office over there, I'll go and give them the letter with a bit of money so that they send it. The guys at the library probably won't get it for a day or two, and we might have a hard time getting a response. The post offices all talk to one another, so if we just ask a post office about a letter addressed to us, they will see if another office has it, and we'll give it a day for them to fetch it. Well, you should try and rest while I send the letter, ok? It's late."

Link nodded, settling into a comfortable position. Linebeck laid the messenger bag with him. Before he left, Link timidly asked, "How long will this take you?"

Linebeck shrugged, folding the letter, a blue rupee in one of his hands. "Dunno, depends. Not too long, though. Try and sleep, like I said." Link nodded obediently, and Linebeck jogged out of the square. The train station was visible, not too far from where they had stopped for the night.

They hadn't gone too far into the park. There weren't too many people out, either. As it got colder in the year, less and less people visited the park. Warmer seasons like spring and summer attracted more people to the park, and a few times, Linebeck could swear that he spotted one of the three city leaders wandering around the park on particularly nice and warm days. It was the most natural area in the city, and arguably the most popular for simple leisure. Both orphans and people with homes stuck around for a time and didn't really initiate any hostile interactions between one another. The animal life also seemed to be an attracting factor. His thoughts were wandering.

Linebeck fell into a jog, trying to pick up the pace so he was able to reach the office before it closed. He'd sent letter before, without his name signed and while wearing something to obscure his identity, since it wasn't a great idea to be clear about who you are. He didn't sign his or Link's name, just simply writing '5 and 12', hopefully the guys at the library would recognize it as their ages. He stuffed the letter and money into a coat pocket and started to mess with his scarf, managing to get it to cover his mouth and nose.

In the past, he'd steal hats or glasses and other scarves to hide who he was, but now he had a scarf of his own. That wouldn't be enough, but it would work. Linebeck broke into a full run, passing by a few people still lingering around the park while it got later. Sometimes, he also saw people walking around in the dead of night.

He passed over the road and turned right at the station. It was quiet, now, no trains ran after about seven in the afternoon. The post office was still open, the lantern hanging above the door casting a flickering warm light on the cobblestone road. This was an older part of the city, it seemed to expand outward and south as time went on. Linebeck pushed open the door, withdrawing the letter with the money from his pockets.

A young woman was at the counter, and she glanced up when he walked in. "You got something to send? We don't really like having urchins in here. I can tell, your clothes are filthy." Linebeck glanced down at his clothes self-consciously. They were pretty stained from the coal, but otherwise fine. He placed the letter and rupee on the counter.

"This is to the library along the main street," Linebeck quietly said, tapping the folded paper. He backed up, watching the woman take both items, putting the money in a drawer, the letter sorted into a small bag that would go with the people who passed out letters.

The woman glanced up at Linebeck again and pointed to the door. "Leave. I don't need you in here any longer. Leave. Scram. Get out of here." Linebeck nodded and left the office, then sprinted back through the park. A fountain was visible, hopefully the one that he had left Link at. If it wasn't, he might end up checking every fountain in that damn park. Luckily, he found Link and sat next to him. Link fell asleep quickly, and Linebeck remained awake for the rest of the night, watching people and animals just outside their shelter.

* * *

The morning was quiet, and Zelda wandered through the main plaza silently. Ganondrof still hadn't returned from negotiations, but she had received a letter from him. Soon after reading it, she set out in the city to look for Bellum. He was never at home, it seemed, and he never let her in in the first place. He was awfully secretive, and that got on Zelda's nerves. She even tried asking his phantoms, as Bellum called them, about him, and they mostly said that they knew as much about him as she did and expressed having a general fear of him.

He usually stuck around the plaza in the mornings... Zelda clutched the letter tightly in her hand. If she held it any tighter, it would rip apart. The plaza was currently sparsely populated, only a few other people outside along with Zelda. It was cold, freezing, and would probably end up with it snowing late afternoon. The snow was a bit late this year.

She ran a hand through her hair. The problems of Ganondorf's negotiations with the other city, Bellum's obsession over keeping the knife out of that group's hands, and the orphan population in general was making it so she had less time to keep up with her appearance, resulting in her stumbling out of her house with messy hair and wrinkled clothes. Ganondorf, when stressed, remained strict, but lost control of his appearance as well. Stress didn't seem to have a visible effect on Bellum. Zelda secretly envied that part of him.

She stopped near the entrance of the tower and surveyed the plaza. Damn, it seemed that whenever she stopped and look around, she was able to find what she was looking for much easily. Bellum was crouched down a few meters away, interacting with something. Zelda briskly walked over to him. She sighed when a few feet away, and stopped next to him, glancing down at him. He was patting a purring, scrawny little cat. Zelda cleared her throat, and both Bellum and the cat glanced up. "Oh, hello. Did you need something from me?"

Zelda shrugged. "I just need to show you something. Isn't that the stray cat that wanders around here? I've seen him a few times. Looks like he likes you."

Bellum shrugged, getting to his feet. "I've seen him around a few times, most starting a couple years ago. But, yeah, he seems to like me. For some reason. What did you need? It had better be important. I'm still working on tracking that group." The cat meowed up at him, and Bellum nudged him away with a foot.

Zelda hesitated, then held out the crumpled letter. "I sent a letter to Ganondorf a few days ago and got a response. Apparently, his negotiations aren't going too well." She let Bellum take the letter, then added, "Well, I'm not surprised his negotiations aren't going well. He's a bad negotiator. I don't know why he volunteered in the first place. No offense, but you'd be better at this than him. At least you know how to better bide your time. I feel like he simply takes the first way and goes with it, not much complicated planning or plan b's, y'know?"

Bellum grunted in agreement, skimming the letter silently. He seemed to go through it a few times, then cursed under his breath. "Seriously? He's gonna have to be there until next year? How does someone screw up negotiations that badly? They're negotiations regarding trade and what is contraband, how can that take so long?"

Zelda snatched the letter out of his hand and shrugged. "I assume it started branching out to other topics. I'll have to send another letter. How goes the search?"

"Not great," Bellum grumbled, "Part of the main search party got sidetracked by a robbery, and as far as I know, their dogs are focusing more on them than that group." He paused. "I went through some records for that group, and that girl, Tetra, isn't she your little sister? Why is she out on the streets, and why have you said nothing about her?"

There was a silence between them, only broken by the stray cat's quiet meows up at Bellum. Zelda opened her mouth to speak, then closed with an uncomfortable expression. Bellum sighed, his hands on his hips. "Seriously, I need to know. This... just doesn't seem right, knowing you had a sister you never told us about, and she's living on the streets. She knows she's your sister, correct?"

"Yes."

"Has she tried to go back home?"

"...Y-yes."

"Then why the hell is she out on the streets? Don't get me wrong, I couldn't care less, but I'm not in the mood for my coworkers to be keeping secrets like this from me."

"Well..." Zelda gritted her teeth and snapped, "That's a load of bullshit! You can't say that! Don't think don't' I know you've got a hell of a lot more secrets than I do! For example, what the hell was up with your mood shift four years ago? There's no way it was only the knife. Why are you obsessed with catching some groups, and passive towards others? Why is it that even your phantoms, as you call them, seem to fear you, even when I've spent whole days watching you work, and you've only yelled at them? Why do you always jump at a chance to host executions even when you have other things to do?"

Bellum sighed. "Those aren't important right now. This is a more urgent issue. Tell me. I'm not going to drop the subject unless you tell me."

"Fine, fine, goddesses. She left about a year or two ago. I don't know why, she never tried to tell me. It... honestly didn't really bother me, we didn't talk much in general. We didn't act like family. After my parents died, she left. I didn't think much of it and was able to do my work better. She tried to some back at one point, but I simply wouldn't let her in. She was doing fine... Hey, are you ok?" Zelda tilted her head questioningly at Bellum, who's normally pale skin went nearly white as a sheet.

Shrugging, Bellum unconvincingly said, "No, I'm fine."

Zelda nodded slowly, then asked, "Well, are you done? That's was you wanted, right? I know, what I did was cruel... but I can't go back now. She's fine on the streets. You should get to work now. I'll be back at my house." She nodded to Bellum and walked off.

At his feet, the cat meowed up at Bellum. He glanced down at the cat, then crouched down, petting him once again. "I know, I know... we are rather similar, aren't we? But I guess we aren't very similar, at the same time."


	14. Chapter 14

Linebeck shoved his hands into his coat pockets, glancing back at Link. "Keeping up? We've been walking for a bit, now." Link nodded, continuing to march behind Linebeck. "I want to try and show you the prison location at some point before we move on. Better to know where it is than not." He shivered and rubbed his arms. The sky was gray, they were woken up about an hour ago by the barking of a dog. They each had some orange slices and were on their way.

The prison was a few miles away, and they would hopefully be able to clear the park in time. They decided to take a slow pace, though, since the main reason they were in the park was because Link had wanted to see it- and he seemed happy to be there, excited at the sight of an animal or leaf piles. They walked mainly on the paths, passing a few people. Linebeck kept an eye out for people with bags that had thin straps. Every so often, he'd reach into his coat and check that both of his knives were there. He was contemplating giving Link the kitchen knife, but he might not accept it, and where would he even keep it?

He checked their messenger bag, then glanced back at Link. "Hey, do you think we should collect a bit more money? We're running low, and who knows what we'll need it for." He held his hands out, slowing his pace while he turned and starting walking backwards. "I mean, the park is near the wall, and so is the prison. I'm thinking we could, after staking out the prison, head to the orphan community on this side of town and see what they've got. I haven't been over there too much."

"That sounds cool," Link said. The two of the glanced up at the sky, and Link asked, "Will it snow today? It's really cold."

"Yeah, it should snow today. Oh, wait..." Linebeck pointed off to the side, at some guy walking slowly down the path. "Come here, this has got to be quick. Listen, you might not like this, but here's what we're gonna do..."

Link walked up to the man, who glanced down at him curiously. "Hi!" he said, smiling brightly. There was no script, Linebeck just told him to distract him for long enough. "It's a nice day, huh?"

The guy tilted his head at him, having stopped walking. "I guess it is... are you an orphan? You look a bit... dirty." He looked more curious and amused than anything.

"Uh, yeah, I'm an orphan I stick around here, but it's nice to talk to people." Good thing this guy seemed to be nice. Link glanced to the side for a moment, spotting Linebeck watching from a nearby tree. He was slowly making his way towards them but had stopped. "Do you like animals?" Once Link got talking again, Linebeck continued sneaking towards them.

"Well, yeah, I like animals. Used to have a pet bird."

"Cool. Are you, uh, doing anything right now? You don't seem to be in a hurry."

"I'm just walking around. I'll need to keep going in a bit, though, I'm trying to get to a place at a certain time, but I've got enough time to wander." He shrugged and started to glance around. Behind him, Linebeck froze in fear.

Quickly Link asked, "Hey, uh, do you think that's a dog over there?" He pointed near a leaf pile, at a shape that could've been considered a dog. The guy stopped and squinted at it, and Linebeck silently snuck up right behind him, pulling out the heirloom knife. For a moment, shock and fear flashed through Link's body, but then Linebeck carefully took hold of one of the man's bag's straps. "I mean it looks like a dog, but what do you think?" He tried not to bring much attention to Linebeck, who amazingly was cutting away at the straps without catching the man's attention.

"Well, I'm not sure..." The guy squinted, and Linebeck managed to cut though one strap, now working on the other. "It could be. I don't see it moving. I take it you like dogs."

Link nodded, feeling more and more nervous. "Yeah." Linebeck was halfway through the second one, he didn't need to talk any more than he already had. The guy stared at the thing, and a look of shock crossed his face momentarily, just as Linebeck cut the last strap and took the bag. He whipped around just as Linebeck turned and sprinted away.

He turned back to Link momentarily, and spat, "You little-" before sprinting off after Linebeck, shouting at him. Link dashed after them, too worried about Linebeck to linger back. If he got hurt, and Link wasn't there to see it and find him, who knew what would happen then.

Linebeck recklessly jumped over one of the short stone walls around the fountains, cautiously putting the knife away and adjusting his grip on the bag. He'd done this before; it was just rare for him to succeed. Now, with Link on his side as a distraction, he could more efficiently utilize what he had been taught. He might even consider teaching Link what he'd been taught later down the road. Linebeck shook his head, expelling the thoughts from his mind, and focused on escaping.

The guy wasn't as fast as him but could probably run for longer. He needed to hide. Linebeck almost ran into a small group of people, quickly shifting his direction so that he just barely missed one of the people. He glanced over his shoulder for a moment. Shit. The guy was gaining on him- Link was following them. Why? Linebeck growled out of frustration and jumped over another short wall. The autumnal park rushed past him as he ran as fast as he could, frantically trying to recall the layout of the park. Wasn't there a hedge maze nearby?

The guy shouted at him, utilizing some rather nasty vocabulary. Linebeck franticly stared around, then spotted the hedge maze. It was rather large and has a few openings in it with fountains or gardens, so it was easy to find in the park. Linebeck had admittedly spent almost a full week in it one time, drawing up a map for it. Hopefully, he still had it somewhere in his coat. Keeping a firm grip on the bag while he rummaged through his coat pockets, Linebeck eventually pulled out an old and wrinkled map of the hedge maze. He only had a few meters to go... and he sprinted into the maze.

It had multiple openings, but that wasn't important. Linebeck tucked the bag under his arm, glancing over his shoulder. The walls of the maze were well-trimmed green hedges, about eight feet tall. The guy they stole from was still chasing after him, Link lagging behind. He took a right turn, starting to follow the map. It was dim, since the hedges blocked light and there was nothing to illuminate his surroundings other that the cloudy sky. If he took a certain path, he'd come out to a large garden area.

Linebeck slowed to a brisk walk and took a left turn. He switched between looking down at the map and behind him regularly, paranoia refusing to let him relax. What if Link followed them him? He didn't know the way. What if that man turned and started hurting Link? The kid was involved. What if the guy managed to follow them? Linebeck would most certainly wind up hurt if he was caught. He wandered through the maze, taking a few wrong turns then correcting himself just in case the guy knew the path. After a few long and dragged out minutes, Linebeck stumbled into the garden.

It was lighter than the rest of the maze, a few bright lamps around the area, hanging over varieties of flowers in flowerbeds. Hopefully, Linebeck was safe now. He ran over to and huddled in one of the area corners. He waited a few minutes, and he was alone for the duration of his wait. More relaxed and safe-feeling, Linebeck set the stolen bag down and opened it. It wasn't too large, only one place for holding things.

As Linebeck rummaged through it, he placed each item found on the well-trimmed grass. After emptying the bag completely, he tossed it a few feet away and stared at what he had found inside it. He gathered up the rupees he found after counting them, about 37, and put them with the rest of his and Link's funds in the messenger bag. There were a few papers that he put back in the bag, the only other interesting thing being some small candles in a package. He took those just for the reason of showing them to Link.

Once down with the bag, Linebeck closed it and picked it up, leaving the maze through the way he came in. Once free of the dark maze, he tossed the bag next to the entrance and leered around, hoping that Link was smart enough to stay out of the hedges. If he had gone in, there wasn't too much of a chance that Linebeck would be able to find him. Link was nowhere to be seen at first glance.

His paranoia returned slowly, worming into his mind and making its way downward to his stomach. Linebeck started to jog around the perimeter of the maze. The first runaround, he simple looked around, his heart leaping every time he spotted a short kid. The second time around, his risked shouting for Link, utilizing the kid's name. He slowed to a walk once done with his third lap, and doubled over, panting. Goddesses, he had gone into the maze. He wasn't so stupid as to leave entirely, considering his empathy, compassion, and concern for Linebeck, he'd most likely followed him in.

His hands were shaking. Linebeck stuffed his hands in his pockets. They were shaking from the cold. He wasn't scared, he wasn't concerned. The kid was only temporary, if they lost each other Linebeck could manage a few days or weeks without him. How Link was doing was none of his business, he could wait until Link left the maze-

Screw it. Linebeck stiffly strode back into the maze and pulled out the map. He could try checking each open area once, patrolling between each of them in the hopes that Link would run into him. He turned a few corners and found one of the three fountain locations. No one. Damn. But the maze was huge, Link could be anywhere. He wandered for a few minutes between the fountain and the garden, taking a few different routes, to no avail. Linebeck started to walk faster, and took another route, going from the fountain to the second fountain square.

Nothing there, and Linebeck continued to cycle through normal routes, starting to feel shakier and nauseated. What if he just missed him while making laps, and he wasn't in the maze? That could be the case, but what if Link was still in the maze and Linebeck just left it without finding him and assuming he was elsewhere? Goddesses, this was a mess.

Linebeck started to ignore the map and wandered through the maze without proper direction. The sounds of the leaves crunching under his feet seemed louder than normal. With a short inhale, Linebeck tried calling out Link's name again. He cupped his hands around his mouth, stopping at a four-way section, and shouted, "LINK! Link, where are you!"

He shouted multiple times in a row, not bothering to move. After what he counted to be his eleventh shout, he let his arms fall limply to his side. Maybe he wasn't in the maze. Or maybe he was but couldn't hear him. Damn it, how were they supposed to find each other? Linebeck sighed heavily, not bothering to scrape up much motivation to keep moving. He felt a small shock when he heard footsteps on the grass and leaves, the difference in steps made it sound like they were running. He whipped around and was promptly almost knocked over by Link tackling him with a constricting hug.

Linebeck stumbled back a few steps, Link clinging to him and letting his feet drag across the grass. "I- uh- Link! How'd you-"

"I followed your voice," Link simply said, his voice shaky. "Sorry for following you in, I knew it was a bad idea, I don't know where to go in here, I just wandered and wandered." He tightened his hug, and Linebeck glanced around almost awkwardly.

A cold wind blew through the maze, picking up some leaves and throwing them around. Both orphans shivered, Linebeck pried Link off of him. "C'mon, let's get out of here. I know the way to the nearest exit." He started to walk down the south path, unfolding the map while Link trailed close behind. As they made their way out of the hedge maze, more and more cold winds blew through, and Link eventually kept right next to Linebeck, clearly seeking warmth. "Yeah, it's getting pretty cold," Linebeck muttered. "How about we check out the prison, then make our way back to the library? I often help out there in wintertime- they pay the kids who help out."

"Do they?" Link asked, the usual optimistic note returning to his quiet voice. "What do they do in wintertime?"

"Well, they open it a bit more to orphans, but therefore require more help with making food and such. I mean, those four live there, so of course it doubles as both a library and their home. I normally help out with making food." He simply shrugged, glancing up as they left the dark green of the maze and re-entered the flaming colors of the autumnal park. "Now, then, the prison should be a few miles south of here, and we'll most likely leave the park today and reach the prison tomorrow."

Link nodded, watching silently as Linebeck returned the maze map to his coat pockets and withdrew the city map. "...Why's the maze here?"

"Uh... I think the city wanted it, and it was a community project. I stayed in it for a week about a year or two ago and made my map." Link stared up at Linebeck for a few seconds and wasn't noticed until Linebeck peered down at him. "What?"

"You spent a week? That's cool. When are we going to continue going to the prison? I want to get to the library as quickly as possible."

"We'll get going... now." Linebeck held out the map and walked along the side of the maze, Link clinging to his sleeve, as usual. The kid didn't say a word as they left the maze behind and continued through the park, even when spotting a dog running around or if there was another burst of cold wind. He was silent aside from a few sneezes. Eventually, Linebeck stopped near a thin tree and looked back down at Link. "How're your cat bites? Does it feel fine? I'm worried about you getting sick, because who knows what kind of shit that cat got into, those are the bandages from my leg wound, so they might be a bit dirty."

Link held out his bandaged hand and shrugged. "It's fine. Can we move a bit faster, though? I'm getting really cold."

Linebeck agreed, and they started to more quickly walk through the park, but not quite at a jog. Admittedly, Linebeck's ears had started to sting from the cold and he had found himself rubbing his ear tips to warm them, so he wasn't against picking up the pace. Aware that they were now only going in a straight line, Linebeck ignored the map, glancing around at the other people and animals in the park. Up in the gray sky, there was a number of small birds fluttering around, flying in the same direction as each other while in a crowd.

Link, about thirty minutes into their walk, tugged Linebeck over to one of the thin trees and had him sit at its roots. "Sorry," he said. "but I'm getting kinda tired. We can rest here for a bit, right?" Linebeck nodded quietly and sat with him.

"Here, hold out your hand," Linebeck instructed, and took hold of Link's outstretched arm by his forearm and poked at the bandages on his hands. "Uh, does any of that hurt? Y'know, when I touch it?"

"No. Are you checking it? It's fine."

"Oh, ok. Good." He let go of Link arm and started to go through the messenger bag. He had started to routinely switch the shoulders his wore it on, finding himself equally able to wear them on both. "Well, I got some money from that guy, and some candles. Are you thirsty?" Link nodded, and Linebeck handed him the water bottle. "Don't take too much, I want some as well and we need some left over." His words were clearly ignored as Link started to gulp down the water, clearly keen to not be dehydrated. After a few moments, Linebeck snatched the water bottle away from Link, spilling a few drops of water. "Alright, alright, you little shit, leave some for me."

While he took his own long sip of water, Link huddled up, shivering. "Will it be warmer around the prison?"

"Should be," Linebeck said, drying his mouth with his sleeve. "The wind will be blocked by the buildings. How're your shoes? Mine are falling apart." He gestured to his shoes, the top half of them looking to have been torn off months ago, leaving them looking like slippers. Link glanced down at his own shoes. They looked pretty roughed up as well, and it was decided. "Once we get back into the city, how about we try and find some new shoes?" Linebeck asked, putting away the water. "We'll rest a bit longer, then I want to get back to leaving the park." He glanced around the park, the mostly flat landscape now seeming bare to him.

They sat together for a few minutes, Link leaning against Linebeck and watching him sort the items in their bag. Each time Linebeck moved Rainbakku, Link looked up at him, a bit concerned, until Linebeck assured him that he was being careful. Eventually, Link asked, "Do you know if you had any stuffed animals when you were younger, with your parents?"

Linebeck hesitated, bit his lower lip, then nodded. "Uh, yeah. I used to have a little plush cat that I named Copernicus. Dunno why I named it that, but that's what I named it when I found it. Kinda similar to your Rainbakku, just a cat and a bit, uh, cleaner. I guess I had a similar attitude about it like you with Rainbakku."

"Sounds cute. Did you lose it?"

"No... I... think it's still at my old home. It's been left alone."

"Oh, is it? Can you show me?"

"No, I don't want to go back there. Besides, it's getting colder, and it's not worth trudging through a bunch of snow for."

"Oh." Link shifted, then asked, "When do you think they'll get the letter?"

Linebeck fiddled with the tightness of the messenger's bag strap, then muttered, "Dunno. It'll probably arrive in a day or two, and since Ciela goes through and checks the mail, she'll show her siblings first before the old man, so that'll take about an hour, so I'd say most likely in two days. C'mon, let's keep going." He helped Link to his feet, then patted him on the head. "It's only going to get colder, but I'm sure you'll be fine." Link nodded with a smile, then took Linebeck's hand, taking the lead and tugging him along.

They reached the edge of the park by nightfall. It was separated from the rest of the city by a wide dirt road that enclosed the entirety of the park, like Linebeck had drawn on the map. The orphans quickly crossed the street, ignoring the shops or offices lining it, and entering into one of the alleyways. It was dark and cold, most other orphans they passed were huddled up under shelters. Link clung close to Linebeck, worried about glanced down at other urchins in the shelters and find that one was unmoving.

LInk didn't look up until Linebeck pushed him away after they turned a few corners. "Let's stay here, this looks pretty new. The newer ones hold up better." Link nodded and crawled under it, sitting with his back to the wall as usual.

Once Linebeck settled next to him, Link asked, "Why are these shelters everywhere?"

"Orphans make them, hence why they don't all look the same. They're never touched because people at least want to let orphans have a place to sleep and shit, but some people will knock them over, but that's recently been classified as a crime."

"Oh. Have you ever made any shelters?"

"Nah, I don't bother. Go to sleep, we'll get moving in the morning."

Link nodded and leaned against Linebeck, who tensed up at contact. Nonetheless, he let Link stay where he was, it was clear that this would be common. He'd already done it a few times before. Link's breathing slowed after some time, but his eyes remained open, despite his now frequent yawns. Before Link could fall asleep, Linebeck quietly asked, "Did you mean what you said a few days ago? About you considering me your brother?"

The first and initial response was another yawn from Link. The boy shifted slightly so he could get a look up at Linebeck, and shrugged. "Well, I mean, you act like my older brother. You've taught me a bunch of stuff, showed me some cool things, and you've kept an eye on me and took care of me. And, uh," Link laughed softly. "You also seem to think I'm annoying, and I guess I am, but you still let me stick with you. Yeah. We're like brothers." He went slack again, shivered, and yawned, clearly meaning to try and doze off now.

Linebeck made no movement for what felt like ages, pondering what Link had said, until a low light slid into the alleyway, and the birds welcomed the rising sun with their melodious chirping.


	15. Chapter 15

Linebeck kicked a rock down the street, hearing it bang successfully against a can. Link glanced up at him, clearly confused, but said nothing. It was warmer than that last night, but not by much. It was early, Linebeck decided to wake Link up earlier than the kid clearly had anticipated, and they set off without eating.

With an estimate of a few miles left to walk lingering in the back of his mind, Linebeck felt that waking Link up early was justified. On the other hand, Link was grumpy, but kept that mostly to himself with the exception of glaring at Linebeck after he woke him and now dragging his feet stubbornly. Sure, the prospect of seeing the prison was equally frightening and exciting, so that kept him motivated, but he wanted to sleep. There weren't even too many people out, and plenty of other urchins were asleep under their shelters or where ever they stopped for the night.

"I don't think we should eat until after seeing the prison," Linebeck declared. "We might need a bit more once it starts snowing. We can also donate so food to the library for other orphans, and we get payment for that, as well. Think you can walk for a few more miles?" Link shrugged, not bothering to answer verbally. "I'll take that as a yes. C'mon." He gently patted Link on the back, and they both quickened their pace.

Link pouted a bit, then muttered, "I'm tired. I want to sleep." He yawned but continued to follow after Linebeck. They walked into a nearly empty market place, colder due to less buildings blocking the wind. A few stray animals wandered around but ran and hid when the young hylians came near them. Link smiled at each little animal, not expecting them to have any sort of reaction, and he got none.

The rest of the walk was almost uncomfortably silent. They reached the prison around noon, and there were less people around the prison than they passed earlier. People woke up and were out about three hours ago, but no one bothered Link or Linebeck, and barely even looked at them. For some reason, the absence of attention paid to them was a relief. Most people generally were suspicious of people who lingered around the prison, anyways.

The prison had an aura of dread, though Linebeck wasn't bothered by it. Link shuffled to the side and took Linebeck's hand, gripping it tightly. It was a large building, made mostly out of dark bricks and metal. The few windows were barred, a large fence with spikes on top lining the perimeter. Other than that, it was mostly bare. Link stared up at bit a bit longer, then asked Linebeck, "Do you think Tetra and the others saved their friends yet? They said they were going to."

"Most likely. Their stop was around here, anyways, but there's also a good chance that they got caught. Different offenses have different punishments. Simply stealing and stuff like that is only a day. Mugging or being more violent is two, and I think straight up attacking someone is about a week. That's only for orphans, as they're aware that we're younger and more desperate. Normal people have much longer sentences. Murder still remains to be the same amount of time." Linebeck paused, then wondered aloud, "I wonder what Tetra's friends were doing if they were in there for more than a few days. Might have something to do with the knife, Bellum has recently been known to be a bit obsessive over locating it."

Link nodded silently, but felt his blood turn to ice as Linebeck suddenly announced, "I know a safe way in. Want to come with?"

"Why?"

"I just want to show you around it. It's a fairly simple layout, and we can avoid the cells completely. I could just show you the main hallway, if you want." Linebeck didn't look excited, he had an expression that lined up more with anxiety and fear, but his words assumed otherwise. Link hesitated.

"You look scared," Link finally said. "Why do you want to go in if you're scared?"

"Curiosity, and I know a few places where we can steal a bit of money. You in?"

Link nodded. "Yeah, sure! You lead the way."

With a nod in response, Linebeck led Link around the fence, stopped at one point at the side, where the fence spikes had been worn down and rounded. The spikes around them were still pointy, though. Link gave Linebeck a confused look. "A few kids actually spent a lot of time wearing it down with things like knives or water. It took a long time, apparently, and they never bothered fixing it. We need to climb up here, and there's a hidden tunnel into the prison itself."

Linebeck let go of Link's hand and started climbing up the fence. It shook slightly but remained stuck in the ground. He reached the spikes, a few feet above the ground, and carefully vaulted over them, falling in a disgraceful heap on the ground on the other side other side of the fence. Getting to his feet and dusting himself off, Linebeck smiled at Link and gave him a thumbs-up. "Now, you try."

Link nodded and grabbed one of the rows of metal in the fence. Each row was a few inches apart from the others, so there was plenty of space for his hands and feet. He tugged himself up slowly and neared the top rather quickly. "Now, just carefully swing one leg over, then the other, then you can either drop down or climb down. Simple!"

No, it was not simple. Link was scared about messing it up and getting hurt, so it was not simple. He had no idea how many times Linebeck had done this, it was probably easy for him, but not for Link. Still, Link carefully swung a leg over, then the next, going painfully slowly. Linebeck let out a frustrated sigh, and Link stammered, "Sorry, sorry, I just want to be careful!" He shuffled down a few feet on the fence, then dropped down with a small grunt. "Ok. Now what?"

Linebeck, without a word, started to walk along the prison wall, and Link followed him at a brisk pace, not wanting to be left behind. "There's a small hole in the wall, we'll be able to crawl through it. Just... be quiet once we get inside." Link nodded obediently, and they stopped at the hole no less than a minute later. Linebeck pointed to it, a surprisingly well-hidden hole, covered by some untrimmed bushes. "I'll go first, don't lose sight of me once inside." Link nodded, and Linebeck pushed aside some of the bush branches. "Try not to get too badly cut, a few of these branches are sharp."

Again, Link nodded, and got down on his hands and feet behind Linebeck. The older orphan crawled between the bush and the wall, wincing as the branches scraped his face and tugged at his clothes and hair. The hole was a about three feet tall, three feet wide, and no one seemed to know how it was created. It was useful, however, if Linebeck needed something from those in the prison, or if he simply wanted to see who was in there. It always took him about an hour to build up the courage to go in, though, but with Link in tow, he couldn't risk waiting so long. The edges of the hole were jagged, so Linebeck reached over them, hoping his coat wouldn't catch on the sharp bits.

He crawled through the hole and looked around at the part of the prison he'd entered into as Link mimicked what he had done. It was dark, and building material was either mainly obsidian, dark metal, or some other ebony material. Very intimidating. The main part of the prison was a large hall, lined with cells, flickering torches being the only source of light and heat. The nearest cells were empty, each one containing a small cot, a small table, and a small toilet covered by a hanging cloth. For modesty and privacy; as much as Linebeck hated the place, he respected that one design choice.

Link wriggled through the hole behind him and peered around. "This is really creepy... where do we go now?"

Linebeck pointed down the right. "This leads to the main hallway, which lets us see other cell blocks, a meeting room, and a few other unimportant rooms. And, uh, the execution room, but we're not going to go there." Link was shivering slightly, both from the cold and a bit from the fear. Linebeck started to cautiously walk down the hall, Link at his heels, almost quite literally. They did pass a few cells with people in them, mostly adults, either ignoring the two orphans, sleeping, or watching them like hawks.

Link groped for Linebeck's coat in the dim light, clutching to the first shred of cloth his hands touched. He hands were not closed around Linebeck's coat, but his scarf, and quickly moved his hands from the red cloth to the blue. "S-sorry," he whispered. No response, but Linebeck quickened his pace for a moment. The door out of the hall wasn't too far, and the people in the cells were starting to creep Link out. "Can we hurry up a bit?"

Linebeck let out an irritated growl, and started to run down the hall, tugging his coat out of the Link's grip. Unnerved by his surrounding and not wanting to be left alone, Link dashed after Linebeck, who was now rapidly approaching the black door. The prisoners started jeering at them as they ran, and Linebeck threw open the door when he reached it, and Link slammed it closed behind him as he hurtled through the open doorway.

Link stumbled to a stop, doubled over and panting as Linebeck muttered, "Goddamn bastards, they've got no right to jeer at us when they're the ones behind bars. You ok, kid?" Link nodded, standing up a fraction straighter, but his heavy panting said otherwise. "Alright, I'll give you a moment to catch your breath." Linebeck sat down against the wall and took out the knife, the one he'd stolen back from Tetra. He ran a finger slowly along the tinted steel blade, stopping at one of the small jewels on the hilt.

Link watched him fiddle with the knife, then asked, "Are we gonna sell it at one point?"

"Oh, hell no. It's too important. I mean, if Bellum's so obsessed over it, it's clearly important. Aside from it being an heirloom, obviously. There must be something else to do with it. But it would get us a bunch of money if we were to sell it, but we're going to keep it. Have you caught your breath?"

"Yeah," Link said. "Now what?"

Linebeck got to his feet, replacing the knife where he had been keeping it. His hand brushed against the other knife, and he pulled it out, handing it to Link by the blade. Link stared at it. "What? You need something to fight with. We can get you somewhere to keep it later." Still, Link didn't take it.

"I don't want it."

"Eh?" Linebeck tilted his head to the side. "Why not? Might as well have something to defend yourself with."

"I don't want to hurt anyone." Link stared at the knife for a moment longer, then asked, "So? Where do we go next?"

Linebeck hesitated, then sighed and put the knife away. He walked down the left corridor. "This way. It leads to the main entrance." The two of them walked silently down the hall, passing unmarked doors and flickering torches, the flames reflected slightly on the floor. It was dead silent, but every so often, a shout would leak out from behind some of the doors. Always from the left. Never the right. The right had less doors. The left was cells, the right was more of meeting rooms and other miscellaneous space.

Link glanced around nervously and asked, "Uh... when are we gonna leave?"

"I'll show you the main entrance, then we're done."

"Good. This place is creepy." Link shivered and pulled his beanie over his ears.

The corridor finally ended, and Link glanced back to see its full length, he estimated about one-hundred meters long. The main entrance doors were large, but the rest of the room was rather bare. Only a few torches adorned the walls, not even a window or a sort of painting or anything. Linebeck paced in the middle of the room while Link looked around, then said, "And that's all. C'mon, I wanna get out of here too."

Link followed the taller boy back out of the entrance room, relieved to be leaving despite not having been in there for long. They had been walking down the hall for about a minute when a door opened behind them, and they whipped around to see who had shouted at them. It was the group from the train, Tetra, Niko, and Gonzo, as well as three other kids. Most likely the kids that were caught. Link was about the greet them when Tetra pointed at them and shouted, "They stole the knife!"

"Shit-" Linebeck grabbed Link's arm and started tugging him after him as he dashed down the hall. "Keep up, dammit!" He shoved open a seemingly random door, shoving Link in. He slammed the door behind them, fumbling with the knob and giving up. "C'mon!" He sprinted past Link, and the two of them ignored the shouts of the inmates while they looked for the hole they'd entered through.

Link ran into Linebeck's back, unaware of the older orphan stopping. They'd found the hole again, but Tetra and her friends were in the room with them and sprinting over. Linebeck crawled through the hole quickly, ignoring the branches digging into his skin. Link went after him, his heart beating so hard that he was worried that it might shatter his ribcage. Linebeck pulled him through the bush without warning, growling at him to go faster and hurry up.

Link stumbled out of the bush, and the two of them hurtled to the fence. Linebeck helped Link up first, glancing over his shoulder every so often. Link swung his legs over the spikes and dropped haphazardly down, Linebeck following suit as the other group made their way out of the hole in the wall. Link staggered out of the way when Linebeck dropped down but didn't get a word in as Linebeck dashed past him again, pulling on his sleeve. "Hurry, I don't need to be caught by them!"

Without looking back, the pair of them darted into the nearest alleyway, and didn't stop running until Link panted that he couldn't go any farther. He tugged on Linebeck's sleeve until he stopped, then fell to his knees, panting heavily.

Neither of them noticed the snow until they stopped. Link stared at it, a thin layer of cold white specks on the ground. Linebeck glanced around at it, then sighed. "Shit, that was fast. I didn't think it'd be able to cover this much ground so quickly. Well, yeah, this is snow." Linebeck dragged his heel through some of the snow while Link got back to his feet, brushing it off. "Any thoughts on it?"

"Cold," Link muttered. "And wet. I like it, though! How far do we have until the library?"

"We should reach it in a few days, but as it gets snowier, more people prefer using horse-driven wagon. And, yeah, it's wet, snow's just ice." Linebeck started to walk down the alleyway, gesturing for Link to follow. "We might come across someone with a wagon if we're lucky. Merchants are usually the ones with them, but people prefer it since the snow becomes a hassle, especially if it piles up quite a bit."

"That's cool," Link said, trailing behind Linebeck. "I hope we get to the library soon."

* * *

They were now only about two days from the library, the snow having piled up astonishingly quickly. It was about half a foot deep, now, but Link was glad that they were now much closer to their destination. But he was still confused as to why they had stopped at a cemetery.

It took Linebeck a few minutes to properly explain the concept and importance of cemeteries and was thankful that Link understood. They weaved through the grave stones, a few families or lone hylians either standing or kneeling in front a few of the graves. Some had candles, others had flowers, the two of them passed a young woman with a bowl and two incense sticks. "Why are we here?" Link asked softly. Linebeck didn't respond.

Eventually, they stopped at a smaller gravestone, most of the writing rubbed off. Link stared at it, bemused, but Linebeck crouched down and looked at it, then started rummaging through his bag. "Who's this?"

"A friend of mine," Linebeck explained. "They helped me on my first few months on the street but died from sickness about a year after I met them. I owe them a lot."

"Oh," was the only response that came to Link's mind. He watched in silence while Linebeck pulled out one of the stolen candles, placing it gently in front of the gravestone. He then pulled out of the match box, striking a match and lighting the candle. Linebeck thrust the match flame-down into the snow, and a few tendrils of smoke signified that it had gone out.

They both watched the flame on the candle for a few minutes, Link admiring Linebeck's clear respect for his dead friend, and Linebeck quietly mourning them. After a while, it started to snow lightly, and Linebeck got back to his feet, closing his bag. "C'mon, I'm done. Let's go." He walked back through the cemetery, Link following silently.

Linebeck let out a quiet sigh, his warm breath visible in the cold air. Behind him, Link sneezed, then asked, "Uh, we'll be at the library in a few days, right?"

"Yeah. Keep up, now. I don't want to leave you behind in this kind of weather."


	16. Chapter 16

Link leaned heavily on Linebeck while the tall orphan talked with a wagon driver. He'd managed to stop that man on the road and was now asking if he could give them a ride to the library. Link shivered, glancing up at Linebeck as he handed the driver a red rupee. Linebeck turned and glanced down at Link once done. "We'll be able to ride on this guy's wagon to the library. C'mon, let me help you on..."

Link sat close to Linebeck, reaching up and tugging on his scarf. The older orphan had given it to him the day before, saying that he'd be fine with his coat and two shirts, and that Link would be colder without the scarf. The wagon started moving slowly, and Link groaned as it shook as it went over bumps and cracks in the road. Linebeck glanced over at him after a moment, taking note of Link's clear discomfort and flushed face. "Are you feeling okay?"

Link let out a grunt.

Linebeck sighed and reached over, placing the back of his hand against Link's forehead. The skin was warm, and Linebeck slowly drew his hand back. "Do you feel all shivery?"

"Yeah."

"Uh... are you sweating or dealing with a headache?"

"Yeah."

"Shit..." Linebeck laid and arm across Link's shoulder but didn't say anything concerning the boy's condition. He clearly had a fever. Linebeck glanced up at the driver, and asked, "Hey, can you speed up, even a little bit? My, uh, friend is sick." The driver grunted, but snapped the reins, and the lone horse walked a bit faster. That would be good enough. They remained quiet for the next handful of minutes, Link eventually dozing off while leaning on Linebeck. It was a quiet afternoon, almost peaceful. The mostly abandoned streets paired with the slowly falling snow was almost beautiful.

By contrast, Linebeck peered into a few alleyways that they passed, seeing either the shivering or unmoving silhouettes of other urchins that weren't quite as lucky or prepared for the snow. Not that he cared, Linebeck's empathy for others extended about as far as the four at the library, Link, and another choice person.

Link shifted in his sleep, and Linebeck shifted with him to keep him comfortable. His fever was concerning. Perhaps the cat bite didn't heal properly, or there was something on the bushes in the park. They had a nasty encounter with a raccoon the other day, and Link almost got clawed before Linebeck stabbed it in the side, most likely killing it. But that wouldn't make sense, he didn't get hurt during that skirmish. Probably the cat, or something from the graveyard, those weren't generally clean.

Right now, though, it didn't matter. Once they reached the library, Link could be taken care of by Leaf, Neri, and Ciela, and Linebeck needed to talk to Oshus. Linebeck pulled out the map and compared his surroundings to the pencil scribbles and managed to pinpoint their location. At their current speed- the horse was just short of a run- they'd be there in perhaps twenty minutes. He yawned and decided that after sorting out their business at the library, he'd try and sleep. Preferably near Link, so he could be able to keep an eye on him if he didn't fall asleep.

Ten minutes were left now. Link was still asleep, shivering but sweating. Linebeck sighed and glanced up at the wagon driver. Suddenly, he heard dogs barking. Surprised and paranoid, Linebeck sat up, unintentionally waking Link, who sleepily blinked a few times. "Wha..?"

Most likely some phantoms with their dogs chasing someone that had been caught doing... something. Linebeck remained stiff, staring around nervously while Link rubbed his eyes. The barking was getting closer. There was no way it was the phantoms and the dogs that had caught Linebeck stealing from that one house, right? As he started to relax, three phantoms and their dogs rounded the corner, and dogs bounding right for the wagon.

Link let out a yelp of panic, and Linebeck whipped around to the wagon driver, screaming, "Hurry up, go faster, PLEASE!" The driver nodded, clearly hearing the dogs as well, and he snapped the reins, and the horse broke into a sprint. Link grabbed the edges of the wagon, so he didn't fall off.

There wasn't much space between their destination and where they currently were, so Linebeck wasn't worried about the speed becoming an issue with turning corners. At their speed, their pursuers quickly faded from view, turning to blurry silhouettes due to the faster falling snow. Linebeck wrapped his arms around Link's waist, tugging him back from the edge of the wagon. "Well, we should be fine," he said. "There's no way they'll catch up, and the library is considered a safe place for all orphans, excluding, y'know, murderers."

Link nodded lethargically and let his head rest against Linebeck's shoulder. He quietly objected when Linebeck started to retract his arms from around him. "You're warm," Link muttered as an explanation. They remained without moving for the rest of the ride. The two of them reached the library quickly and hopped out of the wagon. Linebeck started up the library stairs, and Link quietly thanked the driver before stumbling after Linebeck.

Linebeck glanced back at Link, the kid looking about as sick as he must've felt. His face was flushed, he was shivering but also sweating, and generally looked uncomfortable. And Linebeck hadn't noticed earlier. Damn it. He waited for Link to catch up before pushing open the glass doors into the much, much warmer library. Goddesses, it felt so good after a few days in the snow.

Not much had changed on the cork board, he just noticed a few less 'missing' signs and a couple fliers for the festival in a few days. He opened the next set of doors and turned sharply to Leaf's counter. "Hey. We need help."

The red-haired man closed his books before looking up. Leaf's eyes lit up when he saw the pair of them. "Oh, hey! It's you two. Nice of you guys to show up-"

"Link's sick." Linebeck placed a hand on top of Link's head, feeling the heat radiating from the sick boy through the beanie. "He's got a fever, and I need you guys to help him out."

Leaf walked around him counter and crouched down in front of Link. He brushed some of the kid's yellow hair out of the way and placed the back of his hand on his forehand. Leaf balked, going pale. "Oh, shit. Link, you don't mind if I carry you, right?"

Link shrugged, and Leaf gently picked him up, holding him in his arms so that Link had the side of his head against Leaf's shoulder. Leaf glanced down at a confused and concerned Linebeck. "I need to tell Oshus and my siblings about him, you can come with. Actually, you should." He started to walk briskly through the library, Linebeck trailing behind quickly.

Passing the lined-up bookshelves, Linebeck briefly glanced at a few orphans who had taken shelter in the library. It was common, and he often decided to help out when more people joined since he got paid for it, and it was warm inside the library. Linebeck picked up his pace, trying not to fall behind. "How bad is he?" He tried not to sound too concerned.

Leaf didn't answer Linebeck's question, but asked, "Can you open the office door?" He stopped at the mentioned door, Link in his arms with his eyes closed. Linebeck nodded and pushed the door open. It was the main office, and only Ciela and Neri were inside, talking quietly to each other.

They glanced over as Leaf walked in, Linebeck closing the door. Ciela smiled for a moment. "Oh, hey, we got your letter-" She trailed off, seeing Link in Leaf's arms. "Oh goddesses." She and Neri rushed over, almost shoving Linebeck aside. "He's- he's not dead, is he?"

Leaf shook his head, but Link didn't make any movement. "No, no, he's just got a bad fever. Linebeck brought him here a bit ago, and I have a feeling that Link wouldn't've lasted much longer if they didn't. Where's Oshus at?"

Neri shrugged, backing off a bit but keeping her eyes on the fevered orphan. "Dunno, I think he went out to get supplies. We've got an extra room in the back," she said, now looking at Linebeck. "The two of you can stay there until Link gets better."

Linebeck nodded silently, glancing up at Leaf. The two of them walked past Ciela and Neri, and entered a small room on the side, the door ajar. It looked like an extra storage room, just with a bed against the wall and a wardrobe. "Uh, you should put Link on the bed." Leaf nodded and gently set Link down, the boy groaning slightly. "Damn," Linebeck muttered. "Looks like he's gotten worse in this short time span. Is that even possible?"

"Maybe," Ciela said from behind them, turning on a lamp next to the door. "Was he hurt recently? What's with the bandage on his hand?"

"He, uh, was bitten by a stray cat."

"Then that's why he got a fever. The wound got infected and-"

"Nope." Linebeck slowly removed the bandage, Link wincing and opening his eyes slightly to watch. Tossing the dirty bandages away, Linebeck tapped the scars on Link's palm. "It healed a few days ago, it's not that." Link nodded quietly. Linebeck carefully removed the scarf from around Link's neck, ignoring his whines. "Shut up, it's better that you dress light during a fever." He pulled off Link's beanie as well and quieted his complaints by tousling his hair.

Link rolled onto his side, clearly intending to sleep. Good. Linebeck put both articles of clothing on the foot of the bed and turned to the three siblings. "Tell me when the old man is back. While we're here, I want to help out. Both at the library and the festival."

Neri nodded. "Sure, I will. Keep Link in bed, he needs to rest. Ciela?" She turned to her sister. "I think it'd be a good idea to get Link some water-"

"We already have some," Linebeck interjected. He rummaged around in the messenger bag, placing the half-empty water bottle on a bedside table, so Link could see it. He paused, then held out the bag of candles. "You guys want these?"

"Sure," Ciela said, taking them from him. "How'd you get them?"

"None of your business." Linebeck turned away from them, feeling Ciela's glare on the back of his head before she turned and left. It took him a bit more rummaging, but Linebeck pulled out Rainbakku and handed the plushie dog to Link. The sick boy took it with a faint smile and hugged it tightly to his chest with a contented expression.

Leaf tilted his head to the side with a smile. "Oh, that's a cute little plushie-"

"Don't you have a job to do?" Linebeck snapped coolly, an eyebrow raised as he regarded the young man. "You too, Neri. I assume you don't have the time to be watching us this whole time. Go away. Scram. Give us some space." Looking downtrodden, Leaf left the room, and Neri lingered before following suit.

"Don't be so mean to them," Link complained. "They gave us a place to stay and helped us. You don't need to yell at them. Don't be a jerk, please." Linebeck sighed, sitting on the bed, but nodded. "Thanks," Link rasped. "I'm gonna sleep."

"Ok," Linebeck whispered. "I'll leave you alone." He got up and wandered out of the room, leaving the door half-closed.

The rest of the library was fairly noisy, the overlapping talking of other orphans like a humming in his ears. He was tempted to clap his hands over them, to shut out the noise. It was annoying, but annoying like a fly buzzing around you, not a group of dogs barking nearby. They seemed to be using hushed voices, at least. Most of the group was crowded in the reading area, sitting in chairs or beanbags or on the floor.

There were more younger kids than Linebeck expected, most of them looking to be between Link's age and around nine. Some kids around Linebeck's age were walking around a bit more, looking around at the building. Much older kids, clearly close to the age where they could get their own place to live, seemed to be talking with the younger orphans, or reading.

Linebeck stared at them a bit longer. The younger kids were dependent on the older, the middle kids depending on the oldest, the oldest depending on the appreciation of the younger. He sneered at them. That dependence would get them killed. If one part fell out, the rest of them would die, or be lost. Better to keep to yourself, be prepared to fend for yourself with no help from anyone.

Some kid near him was giving him a funny look. Linebeck dropped the sneer and strode past Leaf's counter, pushing open the first set of doors. With no ceremony or permission granted, Linebeck tore down one of the festival fliers, stared at it, then shoved it in a coat pocket. He walked back into the library, tugging on his coat sleeves. "Hey! Hey, you, in the coat!"

Linebeck glanced sideways at a tall girl staring at him. "What?" he asked, his words coming out a bit harsher than he had intended. "What do you want?"

"Do you have, like, lighters? O-or a matchbox?"

Linebeck sighed and considered giving her his lighter, but that'd last longer than the matchbox. He tossed the matchbox at her. She caught it in her hands and looked it over. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome," Linebeck muttered.

He left the main library as quickly as possible, returning to his and Link's temporary lodgings. Link was still awake, now sitting up. He was playing with Rainbakku, making the little plushie dance around while he hummed to himself. Linebeck fought to keep himself from smiling. "How are you feeling right now?"

Link glanced up, pausing what he was doing. "Oh. I guess, a little better than before, but still sick. My headache isn't as bad." Linebeck nodded, sitting across from him on the bed. He unfolded and showed Link the flier for the festival. Link stared at it, then asked, "A festival? What's that?"

"I guess it's like a big party, but outside with lots of people and stuff." Linebeck flipped the paper around glancing at it before continuing. "This one comes around once a year, and the main street is where it takes place. Everyone is allowed, orphans included, so it's fun."

"Oh, that sounds cool! When is it?"

"In about a week. It's always set up two weeks after the first snow. People set up stands and stuff, there are a few street performers. The main part about it though is that fact that people always are selling a lot of food for cheap. And if we're the ones selling, we can make lots of food." Linebeck hesitated, then glanced out the open door. "I think I can help out the guys at the library, they usually make something. We could make a bit of money if we help." Linebeck folded the paper back up and shrugged. "I'll ask tomorrow. Are you hungry? They usually make a bit of food for the people staying here. It's not much, but it'll do. You should eat, too." He glanced at the water bottle on the bedside table and added, "Drink that water, too."

Link pouted, but Linebeck simply slipped off the bed and left the room, leaving the flier with Link. He was personally pissed that Oshus still had not showed up, but he could help out in the kitchen for the time being.

The kitchen was off to the side, and you could look through a small window and see the other room both inside and outside of it. Linebeck pushed open the door and walked in. Leaf was the only one inside, hunched over an open book and periodically turning the page, muttering to himself. "Whatcha doin'?" Linebeck asked casually, hiding his amusement when Leaf let out a startled squeak and jumped.

"You startled me," Leaf said with a faint smile. "I'm trying to find something to make. We've got plenty of seafood materials for the moment, and that gives me plenty of options. You wanna help? You've helped in the past; you're good with making food." Linebeck nodded and looked through the book with him.

They flipped through a few pages, both considering the amount needed and general edibility before Leaf tapped one that they both agreed on. It was simply rice balls stuffed with fried salmon, but, according to Leaf, it was better than it sounded.

They spent the next hour making the rice balls. Linebeck fried the fish carefully while Leaf boiled the rice, and Neri, after she joined them, made the small rice balls. "Leave some once everyone else is done," Linebeck said. "I'll bring some to Link when we're done."

They each stopped what they were doing to count how many they had made after an hour. Neri did the math under her breath. "So, there's about twenty-eight kids here, so we'll need about two each, so that's fifty-six, and we'll need about eight, and we'll leave four for Link and Linebeck..." She nodded to herself. "We've got enough for about ten kids. I'll go get Ciela while you guys finish up."

Linebeck turned back to the three pans he was working on a relit the stove. "Damn, you guys must have lots of supplies to be able to do this."

"Yeah," Leaf sheepishly muttered. "We get lots of donations since we're known for generally being hospitable. Mostly from former orphans; turns out lots of them are fishermen." The two of them laughed quietly as Neri returned and picked up a few of the plates. "Is Ciela helping you hand those out?"

"Yeah, she'll get them in a bit."

It took them another hour to finish everything, the process accelerated when Ciela helped out in the kitchen when she had nothing to do. "Thanks for the help," Leaf declared as Linebeck picked up the last two plates.

While shifting his hold on the plates, Linebeck raised an eyebrow and asked, "Am I gonna get paid for this?"

The three siblings stared at him for a moment, before Ciela sighed in clear disgust and left the room. Neri followed after her, but with an apologetic glance at Linebeck. Leaf hesitated. "I'll have to see what Oshus says. He should be back by now."

"Good." Linebeck left the room quickly, careful not to drop the warm plates. Hopefully, Link was awake. It was never nice to wake him up. He wasn't a morning person, but he was passive. He just whined a lot.

Linebeck set Link's plate on the bedside table, glad that the water bottle was empty when he checked it. Link was asleep, clutching Rainbakku tightly to his chest. It was cute, Linebeck had to admit. Once his own plate was set on the bed, Linebeck shook Link awake, and got him to start eating. They didn't speak to each other for the most part, aside from Link thanking Linebeck for the food. Link finished first, leaving the plate on the bedside table and laid back down. "That was good. Thanks."

Linebeck nodded as a response and finished up the rest of his food, scooping up the last few bits of fish and rice with his fork.

"It's nice to have a place to stay," Link murmured. "So different from huddling in the alleyways and eating scraps. I like it, but I know we'll eventually have to leave."

Linebeck nodded. "Yeah, once your fever goes down and you feel better, we'll have to sleep out in the main room of the library." He laid the fork across his clean plate and put Link's on top of it. "Make the best of it." He left the room silently, carrying the plates back to the kitchen.

While setting the plates near the sink, washing them off, Linebeck glanced to the side, jumping as he saw Oshus watching him. "When'd you get here?"

"Just now. You wanted to talk to me?"

Linebeck nodded, turning to face him. "Yeah, it's mostly about the festival." He rubbed the back of his neck. "And, uh, I just wanted to go over what Link and I have been up to. You got our letter, right?"

"Yes, you were '12 and 5' correct? We got it. But, please, tell me what you've been up to."

"Right, sure. So, after our last visit, Link and I spent a few days wandering before having to slow down after I got stabbed in the leg, but we managed to patch it up with the bandage that Link was using on his hand." Linebeck furrowed his brow and muttered, "Well, I guess it is pretty old right now. Anyways, we made our way to a house, which I stole from."

"You did what?" Oshus asked, sounding skeptical and disappointed.

"Hey, we gotta do what we've got to do to survive!" Linebeck quickly and defensively blurted, putting his hands up. "Well, we got some stuff from there and moved on, and worked on reaching the train, so I could show Link the park. We worked on getting there, and Link found a little stuffed dog that he decided to name 'Rainbakku'."

Oshus chuckled, and Linebeck glanced up at him curiously. "What?"

"Nothing, continue."

"Fine. We ran into that group that Bellum's been after for a while now, but half of their group was trapped in the prison. We got on the train with them, but it was the wrong goddamn train, so Link and I had to jump to the other train, which was... an experience. We spent a few days in the park, Link was bitten by a scrawny little cat, I stole from a dude and Link got lost in a maze, and we left the park a few days later. I then showed him the prison since it might as well be good to know how it looks, but we were seen by that group from the train again. I think they were in there to break their friends out. The security isn't all that tight. Fast forward a few days, and here we are, Link sick with a fever while I try and help out here, expecting some pay."

Oshus nodded. "Link is sick?"

"Yeah, he's got a fever. Should be sleeping in that extra room. He's eaten and stuff, though." Linebeck scratched the back of his head. "How long do you think he'll be sick for? I hope his fever doesn't get too bad. Anyways, what are you guys planning to do for the festival?"

Oshush shrugged. "We'll make some food like we have in the last years and give a few days where the kids here can spend some time at the festival. I assume you'll take Link when he feels better? He'd love the festival."

Linebeck nodded, moving to leave the kitchen. "Yeah, I'll take him if he feels better. I want to help you guys make whatever food you'll decide on, and I expect a cut of the earnings." He slipped past Oshus and through the door, starting to take his coat off. It was starting to get hot with it on. Most of the other urchins taking shelter in the library were now huddled near the windows and doors, watching as the snow came down heavier than it had in the past few days. Linebeck was almost tempted to go and watch with them, but he wanted to check on Link.

Link sat up as Linebeck returned to their temporary room, closing the door behind him. "It's really hot in here, but I've only got one blanket, so I don't know why."

"You're sick," Linebeck dryly muttered. "And fevers make you feel warmer than you are sometimes. C'mon, take the top shirt off, you can leave the white one on. Take your shoes and socks off, too. You've been wearing them nonstop. We both haven't changed in weeks."

Link obediently did as he said, taking off his top shirt and removing his socks and shoes. Linebeck did similar actions, removing his own socks and shoes and letting his coat lie on the ground. The scarf and beanie were tossed on the ground along with it. "Better?" Linebeck asked, sitting next to Link on the bed.

"Yeah, it's a bit colder. It's kinda weird to see you without your coat since you wear it so often. I'm gonna sleep now, and I think you should sleep, too. You haven't slept in a few days."

Linebeck had to agree with Link. He was exhausted, unable to sleep for the past few days due to paranoia, the cold, and insomnia. It was hell. But, now, they were warm and now in a place that the whole city recognized as safe. Besides, after getting a full meal after months of scraps and stole food, he felt a bit sleepy. Link laid down again, making himself a little cocoon in the blankets while he cuddled with the little stuffed dog.

While situating himself on his own side of the bed, Linebeck asked, "Do you think you'll dream tonight?"

Link shrugged. "I kinda hope not. I get nightmares a lot. What about you?"

"Same here, lots of nightmares. I think being sick also might cause nightmares, so good luck."

"Oh. Well, good night. I hope you have good dreams."

Linebeck turned on his side and pulled the blanket up on his shoulders, the room going dark once Link switched off his bedside lamp. It was peaceful. After weeks and weeks and even months in Linebeck's case, it was almost strange, alien, to have an actual room to sleep in. For a moment, feelings of wistfulness and regret burned in his stomach. The wistfulness bled away eventually, but the regret stayed with him until he fell asleep, eventually paired with a small seed of hope.


	17. Chapter 17

Most of the kids in the library were finishing up their small breakfasts when there was loud shouting and yelling from just outside. Linebeck, finished with his own food and on his way to check on Link, glanced over his shoulder out the glass doors. Most of the older orphans were crowded by the doors, Leaf peering through a window behind his counter. Curiosity got the best of him, and Linebeck stalked over to the rest of the group. Sounded like a fight.

He pushed his way to the front of the group and peered through the glass. A ragtag group of kids were fighting with knives and shanks and simple punching and kicking. Looked like some sort of gang fight, Linebeck recognized a few of the kids as parts of the gangs that lingered around the library. Now, they were yowling and hissing at each other like a pack of mangy cats, evidently fighting over a toppled over basket of food. One group must've intercepted the other and tried to steal it.

With a heavy sigh, Linebeck pushed the first set of glass doors open, ignoring the concerned shouts from the other orphans. "Shut it," he snapped at them. "These guys clearly need a negotiator, and they're being annoying."

He lingered with a hand on the outermost doors, contemplating the consequences. On one hand, they might turn on him and attack him, or might just ignore him and keep fighting. On the other, they might listen and disperse, and he might end up being called brave for it. Not that he expected them to leave, he just wanted them to shut up. It was loud. Not a pretty sight, either.

Casting away his doubts momentarily, Linebeck shoved open the door, the shouting even louder. The cold wind bit at his face, and he started shivering. Damn, it wasn't even a lot of food they were fighting over. "Hey, it's a bit early for this kind of bullshit," he shouted. The urchins stopped, all of them staring at him, even those on the ground, bleeding. "Look, you're fighting over that food there, right?" Linebeck tilted his head to the side with a slight smile. "You guys want food, right? That's why you're fighting?"

One of the kids shouted out, "Yeah, why do you care? Scram before we pull you into this!"

Shit. Linebeck hesitated, then calmly responded, "Would you mind stopping if we gave you a bit of food? I mean, there's plenty in here, though you'll have to wait, and I doubt you'll be let in." Without waiting for a response, Linebeck hurried back into the library, shoving past most of the orphans. He stopped in front of Leaf's counter. "How many hard-boiled eggs do you guys currently have? I've seen them, how many are there?"

Leaf stared at Linebeck, and walked out from behind the counter. "I'll got get some. You're insane."

"There's method to my madness, just help me out here," Linebeck responded haughtily, leaning on the counter. To his dismay, Ciela walked out and saw the crowd of orphans, both inside and outside the library. "What's going on?"

"There's some assholes out there fighting over food, Leaf's getting some hard-boiled eggs so I can bring them out to them." Linebeck shrugged. "They're being loud. And you can afford to lose a few eggs. I'm a negotiator."

"You're not a negotiator," Ciela snapped. "You're stupid."

Linebeck sneered at her. "Well, I'm helping them out, aren't I?"

They glared at each other venomously until Leaf returned with two small bowls of hard-boiled eggs. "Let them keep the bowls, but just give them these. If they don't leave, don't bother them." He handed Linebeck the bowls. "Go ahead."

Linebeck placed the two bowls on the snow in front of the two gangs. He was worried that his heart was beating so hard that they could hear it. At least he could blame his shaking on the cold. He stepped back from the bowls when done. "Here. Hard-boiled eggs. One for each of your groups. Go ahead. As for the food in the basket..." Linebeck let out an exaggerated sigh. "That's beyond help, to be honest."

He took a few extra steps back as what he assumed to be the leader of one of the groups shoved one other smaller orphan. She scurried forward and snatched one of the bowls, handing it to the leader. The other group did the same. Once they collected their food, Linebeck held his arms out. "Well, then, you've got your food. You have no reason to fight. At least, not here. I recommend moving to the alleyways." Linebeck stopped smiling. "You won't get caught by the Warden as easily if you fight in the alleyways."

Most of the urchins' eyes widened, and started to run towards the alleyways, but one kid remained. She narrowed her eyes at Linebeck. "Who are you, exactly? Takes a lot of courage to do something like... this."

Linebeck shoved his hands in his pockets, worried that their shaking was becoming too obvious. Courage. Ha. He was surprised he hadn't wet himself yet. The way his heart was hammering from fear said that he was a little coward, even if he hid it well. If only this last kid would leave so he could go and hide in the safety of the library. "It doesn't matter. Go and rejoin your friends."

She lingered for a moment longer, then sprinted away. Linebeck turned on his heel once she disappeared from view and dashed back into the warmth and safety of the library. The kids inside simply stared at him, and Neri joined her siblings in the room. The three of them averted their eyes as Linebeck glanced at them. He shoved past them, saying, "I'll be with Link."

Link was still asleep, his fried egg getting cold. Linebeck sighed and gently shook him on the shoulder. "C'mon, wake up, your breakfast is getting cold."

Link woke with a yawn, and murmured, "'G'morning..." He sat up, rubbing his eyes. His face was still flushed, and was mostly opposed to being touched, whining that it was uncomfortable, but was still cheery, telling Linebeck about a nice dream he had while eating his egg. Once finished, Link gave Linebeck his plate and the water bottle, saying that he was thirsty.

"I guess that's good..." Linebeck muttered, looking over the bottle. "Usually when you've got a fever you don't want water. Maybe you're feeling better!"

The plate was balancing on a stack of similar-looking plates. Linebeck found a gallon of clean water in a cupboard, and poured some in the bottle, then slipped some ice from the freezer in with it. He left the kichen while screwing the cap back on and ran into Ciela. "Oh, shit, sorry."

She staggered back a few steps, "It's fine, it's fine. I was just..." She trailed off for a moment, then handed him a red rupee. "Your pay."

Ciela didn't look very happy with this, but Linebeck smirked. "Finally." He strode past her quickly, intending to leave before being asked to thank her for his collected pay.

Link quietly thanked Linebeck for the water and took a long sip. Once done, Link put the water on the bedside table and slipped out of bed. "I wanna find a book to read."

Linebeck nodded, keeping a close eye as he followed after Link. The sick boy dragged his feet, but otherwise seemed fine. He tried to get it over quickly for Link, asking what he'd want to read and finding it for him despite Link saying that he could get it himself. "You wanted this one, right?" Linebeck asked, handing Link a book.

Link nodded. "Yeah, thanks. Have you read it before?" He showed the cover to Linebeck.

"Yeah. Only once, though, not one of my favorites, but I liked it. You might like it, too. C'mon, let's get back to the room-"

Link shook his head. "No, I want to stay out here. Can we read out here?" He peered around the quiet room pointing over at a cluster of beanbags. "Let's read over there, ok?" Before Linebeck had a chance to respond, Link took his hand and led him over to the beanbags. "Yeah, let's read over here."

Link settled down on of the bags, Linebeck tugging another near him to sit next to him. "I'll wait until you tell me to turn the page," Link said, opening the book. Despite being well aware that he would finish reading each page before Link, Linebeck agreed to his terms, albeit whilst biting back the comment on his faster reading speed.

Thankfully, they were not interrupted by the other orphans while reading. They did get a few looks, though, and some kids looked like they wanted to talk to them. Link was mouthing the words to himself and would glance up at Linebeck when he was done reading the page. Linebeck would give him a nod to turn the page, and they got nearly one-fourth through the books when Link didn't glance over at Linebeck.

He'd been done reading it, Linebeck could tell, and was now staring across the room. Only for a few seconds, but Linebeck realized that the library had gone dead silent. He followed Link's gaze slowly. Shit.

Even Ciela, Neri, and Leaf were watching, but looked paralyzed. Bellum had entered the library, hands clasped behind his back as he silently stalked up to Ciela, who became paler with each passing second. He seemed to want something but didn't glance over at the orphans. He spoke quietly to Ciela, emotionless, and she nodded quietly, pointing to the side.

Bellum nodded in response, then briskly walked past the rest of Ciela's siblings. Before he pushed open the office door, he glanced to the side at the orphans. Most of the kids went stiff, Link included. Linebeck found himself relaxing for some unknown reason, unsure why he felt no fear. Bellum seemed to scrutinize each orphan in the few seconds he was looking, then walked in the office.

Linebeck scrambled to his feet, joining the three siblings as they gathered together. "Why the hell is he here?" he demanded. The three of them stared down at him, them shrugged collectively. "Can we watch? Isn't the office door glass? Shit, I think Link and I left our room door open."

Ciela glared down at him, whispered to her siblings, and the three of them crept up to a bookshelf near the door. They peered around the edge, close enough to the door to see inside. Linebeck followed them, getting on his hands and knees. Oshus was in the office with Bellum, and they seemed to be talking together.

They were both standing at opposite heads of the table, talking with long pauses between responses. Their talking wasn't audible, and Linebeck was pretty sure that none of them could read lips. The slow talking went on for a minute, then Oshus turned away from the table. The four of them ducked behind the books. Linebeck peered between the books and peered back around when Oshus turned back away from the door. The old man started to prepare tea while Bellum resumed talking, nodding in response. "What the hell are they doing?" Linebeck hissed.

"I have no idea..." Neri whispered back. "It's like they're friends."

"They might be," Leaf breathed. "I mean, if he's making tea for the Warden, they might be friends. Dunno what Bellum's doing here, though. Bad time, too, with all the orphans. They're all scared of him."

Ciela said nothing. The three of them ducked back behind the books again while Oshus brought the tea to Bellum and said something to him. Bellum didn't respond immediately and glanced slyly at the door. Again, the four of them scrambled back behind the books, but they all knew he'd seen them. They heard the door open, and Bellum peered around the bookshelf, looking at each of them in turn, no discernible emotion on his face. "It's rude to watch people when they're talking in secret." He glanced over his shoulder. "It seems they don't have proper manners; did you never teach them?"

Oshus walked up to him, looking over the four of them. "I never had to teach them, I assumed they had been taught when they volunteered at first. However, I will say I'm disappointed." Leaf, Neri and Ciela all lined up stiffly, Linebeck slouching on the far side and avoiding both adults' gazes. He didn't need to look over his shoulder to know that everyone else in the library was staring intently at the group. "Linebeck." He jumped at the sound of his name and slowly looked up. "I recommend that you go back with Link and leave the two of us to talk. You three as well. Leave."

Ciela clenched her fists and blurted, "What are you doing with him?" She jabbed an accusing finger at Bellum. "I thought you two hated each other, you never mentioned him, and now, here he is, and you two are sharing tea and talking like old friends! What's up with that?"

Oshus sighed. "That's... not important right now. Just give us some privacy." He gestured with his staff, and the three siblings reluctantly turned and walked away. Linebeck held his ground, looking up at Bellum. They stared at each other before Linebeck whipped around and stalked away. He collapsed down next to Link again, glaring at Oshus until he returned to the office with Bellum.

"What were they talking about?" Linebeck glanced away, refusing to answer. "What were they talking about, though?" Linebeck shoved Link away, but the kid persisted.

"Just- shut up!" Linebeck snapped. Link flinched away, and Linebeck sighed. "Sorry, sorry. I don't know, we couldn't hear them." He crossed his arms, sinking into the beanbag. "Let's just keep reading."

Link nodded hesitantly and turned back to the page they had been on. Linebeck peered around, glaring at the urchins that stared at him. They all looked away when his gaze reached them, clearly uncomfortable with the look he was giving them. He leaned against Link slightly. "This is a short book; we should be done with it soon." Link nodded and turned the page, and the two of them read silently while Oshus and Bellum talked in the office.

They finished the book just as Bellum left. Oshus didn't leave the office, and when Linebeck went to put the book away, he didn't see him in the office. Where even was he? But that was obviously none of Linebeck's business. As Link had asked, he pulled out another book from the shelves and returned to him. Link smiled when he walked over. "What'd you pick out this time?"

Linebeck showed the cover to Link. "I think you might like it..."

* * *

Zelda strode down the hallway, walking with a purpose. The archive building was small but held lots of secrets. She had a theory at the moment and wondered if she could find clues in the archives. There was just one problem: each branch of the archives was locked via password.

She knew her own password, of course, but her branch wasn't very interesting. Just a history of the city, bills and laws and such that had been passed. Ganondrof's was a little more interesting, lists of convicted criminals and court manuscripts. Zelda sometimes read some of the interesting ones, she'd managed to figure out his password after a bit of snooping. On the other hand, it was impossible to figure out what Bellum's was. He switched it every week, had decoy passwords, you name it, the bastard had the fail-safe. She once asked him, and he never responded.

Zelda turned a sharp right and walked up to the iron door of Bellum's branch. There was a covered peephole, made so whoever was on the other side could slide it open. She knocked briskly on the door and crossed her arms. To hell with the passwords. She'd tried about fifteen in the past hour. She wasn't one for throwing her authority around, but sometimes circumstances called for it.

The metal slip slid to the side and a pair of eyes peered through. "Password?"

"I'm not doing these anymore," Zelda snapped. "Let me in." She needed to look at a few of those notable orphan files.

The eyes narrowed. "Nope. Password."

"Look, I don't give a damn anymore, let me in-"

"Copernicus," a smooth voice proclaimed behind her, and she whipped around in time to see Bellum pass her. "Let us both in, Zuaz."

The peephole was closed, and the door swung open.

"Copernicus?" Zelda asked ridiculously. "That was the password?"

"There is no password," Bellum simply murmured, and strode into the hall of cabinets. Zelda stared after him, then followed.

"You're- what? What does that even mean?"

Bellum smiled, showing off his sharklike teeth, and opened one of the cabinets, quickly leafing through a few files. "I mean, there is no password. There never was. Either you're me, or you never get in."

"What?"

"It's simple," Zuaz said from behind her. She turned to face him, a muscular man with red hair. "The idea of a password is to deceive people. I don't let anyone in unless they're with Bellum. But we do have a safe word every week, just in case there's an imposter. He usually cycles back around to using 'Copernicus' though."

Zelda paused. "So... there is a password?"

"Nope. The safe word isn't even too needed, it's hard to pretend to look like him, anyways."

Zelda sighed angrily and turned to Bellum, who was looking through a file. Before she could say anything, he handed her the file. "This is what you wanted, correct?"

She hesitated, then took it from his hand. The file on Linebeck. "How'd-"

"A lucky guess." Bellum rubbed the back of his neck. "Dunno what you're looking for, there's not really much in there. The main reason that his file is important is because of the knife issue and a few other things."

Zelda nodded, and started flipping through the first few pages. Mostly small, general things. His age, which had been scratched over and changed each year, birth date, and date that he joined the orphan community. A physical description of him, a list of areas where he could generally be seen. Borderline creepy, but, then again, these files were for kids that caused problems. The files were scrapped once they turned eighteen.

She was looking for... the date his parents died. A few pages of pointless info, and... there. The info on his parents... There were the names, descriptions of them, small paragraphs about them in general. She skimmed the page and found the section for the dates of their deaths. Cause of death, sickness, place of death, their home... the date of their deaths had been scratched out. Zelda squinted at it. "Hey, Bellum?"

"Yeah?"

"Who scratched out the dates of Linebeck's parents' deaths? Everything else is there, but someone covered up their death dates." She tapped the messy pen markings. Bellum walked up and peered at it over her shoulders.

They both stared at it for a few moments, and Bellum whispered, "What the hell...? That's- that's not allowed. Who would've scratched that out? There's no reason to!"

Zelda nodded, but went over his words and tone in her head multiple times. Looking for indications that he was faking emotions. There was nothing. Genuine surprise. He was just as shocked and confused as she was. "You would've seen it, right? You're the only one let in here. That and Zuaz..." She trailed off and glanced at the man standing in the corner.

"Nope," Bellum said, "He leaves each night, and I'm the only one with a key to the door. He doesn't keep any pens in here, anyways. I don't usually let people tamper with the files if I'm not here."

Zelda nodded and closed the file. "Right, right. Where's Link's file?"

Bellum nodded and took the file from her hands, returning it to where he found it. Link's file was close to Linebecks, and a few pages smaller. He gave it to Zelda and backed away. She opened it and leafed through it. Everything was in order, nothing scratched out or anything. Once done, she handed it back to Bellum. "Thanks. I'm done. Did you do anything interesting today? My day's been dull."

With a shrug, Bellum said, "Not much, really. I visited the library today, had a talk with Oshus. Mostly about if he'd seen any notable orphans since wintertime is when they show up at his place. Nothing to report from him, aside from that fact that Link and Linebeck are staying there and that there was a skirmish between two gangs in front of the library. Normal stuff, y'know?"

Zelda nodded and left the hall, Bellum following her and closing the door behind him. "Well, I don't have anything to do today. How about you?"

"I'm going to check a few other files later; I want to see if other files have scratched out information. This might be a problem if more important information was cut out. Who did it, though, I've got no idea." He went to speak again, then leaved against the wall, scratching the back of his head. "There's actually a chance that Ganondorf did it, before he left. He's the only other one with access to my archives, but only if he knows the safe word. I don't know why'd he want to cross out the death dates of a homeless kid's parents, though."

Zelda shrugged, and muttered, "Well, you look into that. I'm going to get some sleep."

"You do that."

They regarded each other, then walked away in opposite directions.

Before she went too far, Zelda whipped around and shouted, "Wait, wait, I've got a kinda awkward question."

Bellum sighed. "What?"

"I- uh..." Her face went red. "It's a bit insensitive, but I'm curious..."

"Ask the question. I'm getting bored."

"What- what are you? Like, what's your race? Y-your species? Because, I mean, you're clearly not human..."

Bellum stared at her. She was worried that he was offended then he started to walk away, responding with, "Simple. I'm a demon. I thought that was obvious."

* * *

"Link, it's getting late."

"But I'm not tired," Link whined, hugging Rainbakku tightly. Linebeck sighed. It was dark out and snowing heavily. Link was still sick and needed sleep.

"Listen, kid, I don't care. You need to sleep. You'll feel better if you're sick." He gently pushed Link against his pillow. "Go to sleep. Trust me, you'll feel better."

Link pouted but turned on his side and closed his eyes. He wasn't going to fake sleep, was he? He was bad at it. Linebeck watched him for a moment, then sighed. Seemed like he was actually going to try and sleep. Linebeck pulled back the thin blanket on the other side of the bed and sat on the mattress, staring at the wall. The lamp was turned on, and the door was closed, so it was almost pitch dark, save for the light issuing in through the edges of the door. It was still rather dim.

He laid down a bit and found himself thinking about stuff he'd usually ignored in the past. Memories that he shoved away after he ran out on the streets. He refused to let them resurface, because when they did, the guilt swamped him and suffocated him and drowned him and made him cry. He hated the guilt, the longing, the sadness of it all. Now, he let it wash over him and reflected on it. It hurt, but he went through it all.

Around midnight, unable to sleep, Linebeck slipped out of the bed and checked that Link was asleep. He slowly opened the door, cringing as the hinges squeaked, and tiptoed out of the office.

It was dark, difficult to see much. He almost walked into a bookcase. The siblings' and Oshus's rooms were beyond the office, so he didn't have to worry about running into them. His main problem was the other orphans in the library. If one of them woke up, he'd be caught. He carefully snuck past them, stepping over limbs of kids curled up on the ground. Those who didn't secure a bean bag were simply on the ground. Looked uncomfortable.

He peered around in the gloom, looking for the rest of the bookshelves on the other side of the library. There; he picked up his pace and scanned the spines of the books carefully. Where was it, where was it... he'd seen it before, but these books required a library card to read. Most likely since they were the larger books, or the more adult ones. Of course, there was only one shelf of adult books, and Linebeck always ignored it, so he was looking for a book regarding more... real-world subjects. Laws and such of the city, subjects like that.

Eventually, he found it, and flipped a few pages once he set it on a table. He skipped almost half the book before reading the few paragraphs he was interested in. He went over them a few times, slammed the book closed, and slipped it back where he'd found it. Tiptoeing back to his shared room with Link, he peered around at the orphans in the library, checking that they were asleep.

He gently shut the door of the room, and damn near screamed when someone muttered, "What were you doing." Had he not recognized the voice as Link's instantly, he would've bolted. Link was awake, rubbing at his eyes in the darkness. "Why'd you leave?"

Linebeck crept over to the other side of the bed and crawled on. "Nothing," he murmured. "Just a bit of reading. Why'd you wake up?"

"I don't know. I just kinda did. I was scared when I realized you had left, though."

Linebeck laid down, the guilt evident in his voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You should go back to sleep, though. You won't feel better unless you do." Link nodded, but wrapped his arms around Linebeck's arm, clinging to him. "Hey, kid?"

"Mmmm?"

Link blinked his eyes open, staring up at him with wide eyes. He looked so small and fragile in the darkness, curled up with both Linebeck's arm and Rainbakku against his chest. Linebeck smiled faintly. "You know I'll be 18 in six years, right?"

Link smiled in response. "Oh, yeah! I want to stay with you until then. Wait, can I stay with you after you turn 18? Like, you can get a home, and I'll stay with you. We can be like a little family, just two brothers sharing a home. I wonder if we'll be allowed to, since I'm not technically your brother..."

Linebeck sighed and started to gently stroke Link's hair. "Yeah you are. You became my brother when you decided you were. And now I've accepted that. We're brothers, and that's that. You can stick with me after I turn 18, and we'll stick together for as long as it's possible, ok?" Link nodded and closed his eyes again.

There was also an alternative choice, but it would take much agony, luck, and explaining. However, it would be the best ending for all of them and would fix this mess he'd realized he'd caused.

Link fell asleep while Linebeck ran his fingers through his warm hair, dismissing the concerning heat. He didn't snore, so that allowed Linebeck to fall into a warm sleep after him.

He dreamt in memories, reliving time at his home, back with his dad, safe. He went through the old memories, only they were altered. Similar scenarios, but he was older, like nothing ever happened. One of the biggest differences the he noticed, but accepted as reality, was that Link was there with them, and the three of them were together, the best ending.

In the morning, he sat up and blankly stared around the room. Something danced at the edge of his mind, and each time he tried to get a hold on it, it would pirouette out of his grasp, until it disappeared entirely, taking with it the memory of the dream.


	18. Chapter 18

Linebeck scribbled down the rest of the recipe and handed it to Ciela. "Here, this is what I was thinking you guys could do. The festival starts at noon, correct; and Leaf is setting up the library booth?" She nodded, snatching the notebook paper from his hand. "We should make a few pots of this; it'll be good to have extra. It's pretty good, providing you make it right."

Ciela squinted at his chicken scratch for a moment, then begrudgingly muttered, "This actually sounds good, how'd you come up with it?"

Linebeck shrugged. "Not important. Let's get started, it takes some time." He crouched down and opened the cabinet below the sink, shoving aside smaller pots and pans. He dragged out a large metal pot and placed it on the stove. "I listed the ingredients, right?"

Ciela nodded, and murmured, "How many secrets would you happen to have?"

"I'm gonna ignore that question."

"I'll add it to the list then. You get the ingredients; you've clearly made this before." She tossed the paper on the counter and peered in the pot before lighting the fire under it. "Hurry up, we're on a time limit." She started to fill the pot with water.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing? No water, it's a stew, remember?" Linebeck turned off the water and tipped the pot over, fighting to keep the water pouring out. "Let go, you just get the ingredients. I know how to make it-"

"You know how much we need, and what we need without the paper-"

"You know where this shit is! There's a certain way you need to stir-"

"I don't care! Just tell me how to stir it-"

"Hell no! I'll tell you what and how much we need, that's better and safer-"

Ciela let out a harsh laugh. "Safer? You don't trust me?"

"Of course not," Linebeck snapped. "Just get the damn ingredients!"

"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP?!" Neri screamed from the other room. They froze, and peered out the window, at the shocked orphans and at Neri, who's normally calm face was red with rage and impatience. They continued with their work, but scarcely spoke to each other.

Link sat up in bed, yawning. How late was it? Linebeck had already left, the door was left open. He started to get out of bed, then decided against it, as he felt everything ache. Seemed like his fever got worse; he felt cold despite curling up under the blankets. He hadn't dreamed the night before, so he slept well. Rainbakku was still in his arms, and he hugged him tightly, glad that he hadn't lost his grip on the plush while sleeping.

Link rolled over on his other side, facing the wall and the other side of the bed. The pillow was shifted, the blanket tossed aside. There were multiple signs that it was recently slept in. Link turned back over. He yawned, but not from fatigue. He slipped out of bed, groaning with pain from the aching all over his body. Still hugging Rainbakku, Link stumbled out into the main room of the library. No one seemed to notice him, but he could view Ciela and Linebeck in the kitchen, glaring at each other.

He plodded into the kitchen, where Linebeck was tossing stuff in a pot and Ciela was gathering ingredients for something. Link watched them for a bit, swaying lethargically in the middle of the kitchen. After a bit, Link walked up to Ciela and asked, "How old are you?"

Both of them jumped at the sound of his voice and stared at him. Ciela slowly answered, "I'm about seventeen... shouldn't you be resting?"

Linebeck hurried over and gripped Link by the shoulders, shaking him slightly. "You should be resting! You look worse than ever. You were warmer last night, too."

Link shook his head stubbornly. "No, I'm fine, I promise. What are you guys doing?"

"Cooking," Linebeck quickly said. "I expect a cut of the pay. You should be resting. You won't get better unless you do." He started to pull away from Link, but the kid rushed forward and hugged him. "Uh... what are you... doing?"

"You're warm," Link explained. "I'm cold. If I'm going to rest, I want you to be with me."

"I need to help Ciela here with the cooking-"

"I'll be fine on my own," Ciela retorted. Then in a softer voice, she added, "Go take some time off with him, you two have been through a lot recently." She stared sternly at Linebeck, who glared in response, but sighed.

Link giggled happily and hopped back. "Yay! I get to spend more time with you."

Linebeck grimaced. "You and I have been pretty much no more than three feet away from each other for the past two months."

Link pouted, taking his hand and tugging him out of the kitchen. "Yeah, but now we're safe and don't need to worry about stealing or scavenging for food." He glanced around, then simply asked, "Could we go for a walk? Outside? I'm kinda tired of being cooped up."

Linebeck winced and shook his head. "You'll only get worse..."

"I'll wear your coat," Link said, and the compromise was agreed on. Link wore Linebeck's coat, but only after most items were removed from the pockets, save for the heirloom knife, which Linebeck moved to the messenger bag. The other knife stayed in the coat just in case. After explaining to a very concerned Neri what they were doing, the two of them left the warm library for the biting cold of outside. Link screwed up his face at the cold, flipping up the collar of the coat. "Brr. I was hoping it wouldn't be so cold."

Linebeck laughed slightly, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. "It's been snowing all week, what were you expecting?"

Link shrugged, and started to walk down the street, Linebeck following. "When should we get new shoes? I mean, mine are falling apart, and so are yours." He glanced over his shoulder for a response but got only a shrug. "Ok. I'll let you think about it."

Linebeck let out a short laugh. "Sure. Do you wanna get a look at the stands? I haven't seen them either." He scratched the back of his head when Link stopped and nodded. "Ok. It's this way, c'mon. You're going the wrong way." He tugged Link to the side. "It's down the left. We're going right." Link nodded with wide eyes and allowed Linebeck to pull him down the other way.

A few stands were already set up, and Leaf was putting the finishing touches on the library's stand. It was humble, almost minimalistic, but with a fairly sized counter, and some boxes underneath for storage. Leaf ignored them while he worked but told Link to stay off the counter when the boy attempted to climb and sit on it. Linebeck laughed at the sullen Link for a few moments as they continued down the peaceful road. "Now what?" he asked, fighting back a smile as Link glared indignantly at him.

"We should get new shoes," Link finally said. "Where was that pile of clothes you showed me way back when we first met?"

"Should be in one of these nearby alleyways, give me some time to think." He sat on a snow-covered bench and immediately regretted it but remained sitting as Link joined him. Link looked equally and more uncomfortable but kept sitting like Linebeck was. "I think's its down there," Linebeck said, pointing down an alleyway a few meters down from where they were. He got to his feet, brushing off his pants, and set off towards it, Link following quickly. "Keep up."

Link nodded, sprinting after Linebeck. They ducked into the alleyway, Linebeck sprinting through the snow until he came across the pile of clothing, piled up besides the trashcans. He ordered Link to sit and take off his shoes, ignoring his complaints of the cold. "Hush, it won't take too long. Give me your shoes. How do they fit?"

"They're fine, a bit big."

"Good, good," Linebeck muttered, starting to dig through the pile. He found two pairs of shoes that matched the size, and Link, thankfully, agreed to one of them, a pair of brown boots. Linebeck tossed Link's old shoes in the pile and removed his own shoes, hesitating as he stared at the torn end of one of his pants legs. He'd need to do something about that soon. Not important now. He dug through the pile again and found a few more pairs of shoes that fit his size, but ended up throwing most of them away, save for a pair of russet-colored boots.

Link laughed quietly, and chirped, "Looks like this guy likes to make boots." Linebeck smiled and nodded, tugging on the boots. "I can see a few more pairs we haven't looked at yet." Link pointed them all out while Linebeck walked around a bit in his new shoes. Link got to his feet and peered around. "Can we go through these alleyways a bit before going back to the library?"

Linebeck nodded, and the two of them started to stroll through the alleyways. It was calm compared to other times they had. They had usually been trying to find a place to sleep, running from aggressive orphans, or looking for food. Now, it was just a calm walk, Link pulling the coat tighter around him and shivering. They passed a few other orphans huddled under shelters, but, to Linebeck's relief, all looked alive and relatively well.

They walked through the alleys for a bit longer, then started to head back. Linebeck strayed a bit behind Link, letting the kid choose the pace they were going at. It was quiet, but almost silent. No birds were out. They walked into a more open area, and Link peered around. "This place looks familiar, have we been here." He stared around, gaze lingering on the dumpsters and unoccupied shelters.

Linebeck shook his head. "No, but we've been in places similar to this. It's common part of the alleyway designs." He stopped, glancing around it. "Yeah, they are all similar." With a frown, he added, "Though, it's really quiet. Y'know how there's usually a bird around? Even when it's snowing." He balked when the sound of rapid footsteps approached him from behind. He started to turn around, but he was grabbed from behind, arms wrapping around his own and holding him in place. "SON OF A-"

"Shut up," one of the kids snapped, clapping a hand over Linebeck's mouth. Link stumbled back; his eyes were wide and afraid. The same kid from before shouted, "Scram, kid, and you won't get hurt."

A second kid started to circle Linebeck, eyeing him closely and then staring at his messenger bag. "Let's see what you've got there..." She bent down and picked it up, tugging Linebeck forward with the strap. He tried to curse at her, but the hand kept him from getting out a coherent word. He tried to struggle, but the kids that held him were stronger than him- older, too, most likely.

If they found the heirloom knife, they were screwed. Tetra's group was easy to track since they caused so much trouble and followed certain kids around. These kids, Linebeck didn't have the faintest inkling about them. Desperate, Linebeck turned his stare to Link, hoping he'd actually do something other than stand there, shell-shocked. He'd save him before, surely, he'd figure out how to do it again.

The girl was now looking through the bag quickly, tossing out pretty much everything she found. He didn't mind much as she got rid of the lighter and the nearly empty tube of ointment, but a flare of rage burst through him as she carelessly tossed away Rainbakku. Even Link looked furious. "You've got a lot of crap in here," the girl drawled, then smiled. "Oh, looks like this'll catch us a nice net of money." She pulled out the heirloom knife and Linebeck screamed as much as he could through the hand over his mouth. Someone on the side slapped him across the face.

He stared down in the snow, not bothering to look up. If he lost that knife again, he'd go insane. He spent so much time trying to reclaim it, and after barely a month, it's taken again. He almost didn't hear the pained yelp, almost didn't see the blood in the snow. The hand over his mouth slipped down a bit, and Linebeck bit hard into it when he had the chance. The boy who's hand he bit screamed and pulled away, and Linebeck tore his arm out of the other kid's grip.

His gaze snapped to Link and the girl. The girl had dropped the jeweled knife, clutching her upper arm. Link stood in front of her, the other knife in his shaky grip, the blade spattered with blood. The girl moved back towards the fallen knife, and Link advanced towards her, his expression blank, but his eyes wide with horror, rage, and hope. The girl glared witheringly at him, then turned and ran away empty-handed.

The two kids at Linebeck's sides rushed and tried to grab him again, but Link sprinted at one of them and stopped him in his tracks, pointing the knife at his chest. Linebeck staggered back near Link, facing the other kids, his arms up and his hands in fists. "I dare you, shit-bag."

The kid made a face, backing up, and asked, "What- I beg your pardon?"

Linebeck, not missing a beat, coldly snapped, "Then beg, pissant." Behind him, Link moved towards the other kid again and let out a small grunt. A weak hiss was followed by the sound of retreating footsteps reached Linebeck's freezing ears. The kid Linebeck was staring down wrinkled his nose, and simply walked away. "Yeah, that's right!" Linebeck shouted after him, triumphant. "You won't be so lucky next time!"

He fell to his knees on the snow and crawled over to the fallen items, replacing them in their designated spots in the bag. He brushed the snow off of Rainbakku before setting it back in and looked over the knife carefully. The blade looked skewed or bent. He picked it up slowly, and tapped the blade, flinching as it teetered and shifted more to the side. Worried, and he turned back to Link, who hadn't moved. The kid looked shaken; his knuckles as white as the snow around them as he held the knife still. "You alright, kid? You're not hurt?"

He walked up the kid, gently placing his hand on his shoulder. Link flinched away, staring blankly up at Linebeck. He dropped the bloodstained knife and wrapped his arms tightly around Linebeck's waist, hugging him. "You're ok," Link mumbled. He pulled away for a moment, fixing his skewed beanie. "I'm fine, too. Can we go back to the library?" Linebeck nodded, and Link backed away. "Ok. I'm tired."

Linebeck held Link's hand in his, and Link asked, "How's Rainbakku? Was he damaged?"

"Nah, he's fine. The heirloom knife is broken, through, but I want to look at it back at the library. Give me the other knife and I'll clean it off, and we can get going."

Linebeck let go of Link's hand and worked on cleaning off the knife with snow. Link watched him silently and let him put the cleaned knife back in the coat. "Ok, let's head back. We should stay there for the rest of the day." Link agreed quietly, and they started back the way they came.

Link dragged his feet, but Linebeck didn't say anything about it. After a while, Link asked, "Why are so many people so scared of Bellum? I mean, yeah, he's the Warden and runs the prison, but what else is there to be so scared of?"

Linebeck pursed his lips for a moment, then nonchalantly answered, "He kills people, too. That's a reason to be scared." With a shrug, he added, "It's part of his job, though. He's the executioner for convicted criminals who are given the punishment of death. I think he does also kill people in other circumstances, though, like in a riot or bar fight or something. He doesn't feel the remorse for it. I think he likes it."

Link had gone silent, then asked, "...Really? H-he's a murderer?"

"Yeah."

"...Oh. I-I thought most people were just scared of getting arrested. H-he only kills criminals, right?"

"Yeah, like I said. That and accidents in riots and stuff, but he's careful not to cross lines. Zelda set up punishments for him, and they've never had to be used so far." Linebeck tugged Link out back onto the main road, where there were less people out, but a few more stands. "Oh, looks like most people are inside now." He glanced up at the cloudy sky. "Might snow in a bit. I don't know."

They wandered back into the library. No one spoke to them until Ciela ran over to Linebeck. "I followed your instructions and everything, but I don't know if it's great..."

"You need me to check it?" Linebeck asked, tilted his head to the side. Ciela nodded, and she led him back to the kitchen, Link still clinging to his hand. "How many pots did you manage to make?"

Ciela shrugged. "Uh, just the one, because I went slow about it. I think I did good, though." She glanced back at them, at Link. "I think Link should rest while we check this. His fever is going down, but he's still sick. Go take him to your guys' room. If the stew ends up good, you can give Link a bowl."

"Sure," Linebeck muttered, and started to lead Link back to their temporary room. "C'mon. What we're doing would be boring to you, anyways." Link made no protest as Linebeck walked him back to their room. "Try and get sleep if you want to. Just leave my coat on the foot of the bed."

"I'll go by myself," Link offered. "It'll make things faster." Without waiting for Linebeck's response, he dislodged his hand from Linebeck's and jogged away. In their room, Link pulled off Linebeck's coat and carefully hung it on the bedframe. The two knives almost fell out, and he took out the heirloom knife.

Linebeck was right; the knife's blade was tilted to the side. It looked strange, broken. Link went to fiddle with the blade some more but decided to put it back in the coat pocket. It might upset Linebeck if Link broke it completely, and he didn't want to see Linebeck get upset. Instead, Link hopped on the bed and curled up in the blankets, already starting to warm up.

He'd hurt those two orphans. The ones that attacked and tried to steal from Linebeck. Link had stabbed the girl and given the boy a cut on the shoulder. He'd hurt them, but he'd saved Linebeck. Was it worth it? In Link's mind, he guiltily felt that it was worth it to hurt those two orphans in order to help Linebeck. But they had gotten hurt because of him; but Linebeck remained safe.

Thinking back to it, it wasn't his handling of the knife that bothered Link. It was the fact that he'd usually ended up hurting people. He could deal with carrying the knife around, as long as it never ended up with blood dripping from it. He could use it to protect himself and Linebeck. Yeah. That was good.

"Hey, kid." Link turned over on his side to see Linebeck walking into the room with a small bowl. "How are you feeling now?"

"Warm," Link chirped. "That's all. What's in the bowl?"

"It's that soup Ciela made using my recipe. Turns out she made it correctly, and it tastes good. Wanna try it?" Linebeck set it on the bedside table with a spoon. "It is good, though. I tried it."

Link nodded and leaned over the bowl, looking in. "Well, it smells good. Can you tell me more about the city while I eat? I don't actually know much about it, still." Link let the spoon fill with some of the broth and slowly sipped it up. "The broth is good! What'd you put in it? In the soup? Like, what kind of soup is it?"

"It's kinda like a seafood stew," Linebeck explained. "Well, more of a soup. Honestly, I don't quite know the different. But, yeah, mostly lots of fish and stuff, with a few herbs and spices for flavor. Though, it's mostly salmon and crab. With a little bit of shrimp. Nothing too special, I remembered the recipe from when I was with my parents." Link nodded and managed to get some of the salmon on his spoon.

Link ate the rest of the soup in silence, giving no commentary or comments while he ate. Linebeck shifted uncomfortably and picked up his coat from the foot of the bed. "You didn't touch the knives, right?"

Link shook his head, but admitted, "I did look at the heirloom knife, though. Do you think it's broken?" He paused, then added, "The soup is really good."

With a nod, Linebeck started his explanation on the city. "I dunno how old it is, and, honestly, I couldn't care less. But, y'know, it's led by Zelda, Ganondorf, and Bellum; mostly Zelda, though. It's a metal-working city, but is poor, so the outside buildings are made of bricks or metal, farther out is just wood. The buildings get taller as we go further in, though. Lots of stray animals, lots of orphans. Pretty bleak, honestly, but it can still be a nice city. Around the factory, it gets kinda smoky and bad-smelling, but it's not horrible. Tolerable, really."

He meant to keep going, but Link interjected, "Why are there so many orphans? Why do so many parents throw out their kids?"

"Sickness," Linebeck drawled with a shrug. "Parents die from the sickness, and kids are left on the streets. Or, since younger people are more vulnerable to the sickness, they're thrown out in exchange for the parents' safety. It's cruel. I've talked to Oshus about orphanages- places where people work to help raise orphans and give them homes before 18- and he's mentioned that he's considered starting one, but it'd take a lot of money."

"Really?" Link seemed to perk up and put away the soup bowl. It was now empty. "That sounds cool." Link started to speak again but yawned.

"Get some sleep," Linebeck said. He started to leave, but Link got up and called for him not to leave.

"We should get a quick look at the knife!"

Linebeck hesitated. That was a good idea. Perhaps investigating the knife would help show them why it was so sought after by so many people, aside from it's clear worth. "Ok," he muttered, turning back around. He sat on the bed next to Link, pulling the knife out of its pocket in his coat. The blade was concerningly tilted. Taking a deep breath, Linebeck grabbed the blade and jerked it straight up, unsurprised when the blade came clean off the hilt. It was hollow. Underneath, in the thin open space, had been a small metal key.

Linebeck stared at it. It looked like every key he had ever seen but also nothing like them. He turned it over in his hands. "What do you think that goes to?" Link asked, leaning over to get a better look in the flickering light.

Without a word, Linebeck slipped off the bed and wandered over to their room door. It had a lock on both sides, like all of the doors in the library. There were three keys for the doors in the library, but Linebeck was going to test his theory using the knife key. He tugged the door open, so they didn't lock themselves in. Carefully, Linebeck inserted the metal key in the key hole. It successfully slid in.

He turned it, and the doorknob clicked. The key could go to locks similar to these, then. Linebeck removed the key and tested it on the other side of the door. It worked just as well. Link scrambled over and followed Linebeck to the door to the siblings' rooms. It had a different lock than the room Link and Linebeck were staying in. Before Linebeck went to slip the key into the keyhole, he paused and stared at the key.

It had undoubtably changed. The color and overall shape stayed the same, but the end had been altered. Linebeck pulled the key away from the keyhole, but it stayed the same. Curious, Linebeck backed up to the door of his temporary room, and, about five feet from the door, the end of the key seemed to change, mold, and when he tested it, it fit into the keyhole.

"Is it magic?" Link asked, staring at the key. Linebeck had almost forgotten that he was there. Link gaped at the key for a moment longer, then tilted his head to the side. "Magic is real, right?"

Linebeck nodded. "Yeah, magic is real. Some people can use magic. This key seems to be a magical skeleton key, able to mold into the right shape to fit the keyhole of the nearest door. I guess that explains why Bellum's been to frantic about locating it. You could cause a lot of havoc in this city with something like this." He wandered back into their room.

"You should put the blade back on," Link mumbled, handing it to Linebeck. "U-unless it's broken forever now." Linebeck snatched it from his hand without a word and carelessly shoved it back over the key. The key either molded to fit the inside of the blade or was small enough to do so, as the blade fit over it perfectly.

Linebeck tilted his head much like Link often did. "I wonder if it'll stay." He tapped the side of the blade; it didn't move. Slightly agitated due to his confusion, Linebeck hit it a bit harder, and, despite Link's protests, slammed it against the foot of the bed. Nothing. Gritting his teeth, Linebeck then slammed the blade against a lower part of the bedframe, applying more force. The blade came loose and almost fell off.

"There," Linebeck said with a grim smile. He fixed the blade again and hid it back in the coat. "Now, I'm gonna help Ciela make a bit more soup; the festival starts tomorrow. you should rest as much as you can, but you can go out and read, too." He left the room without another word, and Link stared after him, still trying to understand what had just happened.

It must've been pretty late when Linebeck finally left the kitchen. Link had spent his day reading and playing with a few of the other younger orphans. They played games of hide-and-seek and even managed to play tag outside while Neri and Leaf kept an eye on them. Link won, but just barely. None of the older kids were playing, anyways. They stayed inside, and he noticed that a few of them talked with Linebeck.

An hour before Linebeck was done, Link bid a few of the younger kids goodnight, and a trio of younger kids wandered into the library. They were new, as Oshus talked with them for a bit, introducing them to the library. Similarly to how he did with Link; explaining what the library was, asking if they understood what being an orphan meant and what would happen in the future. It seemed that he had come up with and settled on a simple and gentle way of explaining a harsh truth. Link assumed that he had a different speech for older kids, though.

Linebeck surprised Link but shaking his shoulder. "Hey, I'm done. C'mon, let's go back to our room." He helped Link to his feet, and they left the main library room. Link glanced over his shoulder and wistfully waved a temporary good-bye to a kid he had been talking with. Linebeck took note of his action and asked, "Did you make a friend?"

"Yeah! She's really nice. I think she's around your age."

"Cool."

Link jogged ahead of Linebeck and took a running jump onto the bed. "I'm not tired," he declared, standing up on the mattress. Linebeck chuckled and jumped on the bed next to him, pulling off his beanie and sitting down. "Hey," Link protested. "Don't take it off." Link fell into a sitting position with Linebeck, pouting.

Linebeck tousled Link's hair with a lopsided smile. "You need to get some rest. If you don't want to sleep yet, we can talk. I can tell you about magic if you want."

He hung the beanie on the foot on the bed with his coat. In the back of his mind, he thought a bit harder about both articles of clothing. They seemed to be each kids' trademark, what the other identified them as. A few times, Link had gotten separated from Linebeck in a crowd, so Linebeck had to look for his little green beanie over his fluffy hair. And in turn, Link often clung to Linebeck's coat and used it to identify him.

The coat was Linebeck's trade mark even before he ran into Link. He always looked for a long, blue coat when he was on the streets, and even entered the streets wearing a coat fitting that description. His scarf could be added as a trademark, as well. The red went well with the blue.

Linebeck shook his head ever so slightly and sat back on the bed. Link was curled up under the covers again, staring up at him with his sapphire eyes, looking brighter than they ever did out in the alleyways. "What do you want me to explain about magic? There's a lot to tell."

"Uh... can people use magic? What triggers it? Do you know anyone who can use magic?" Link paused, then mirthfully chirped, "Do you think Rainbakku is magic? Like the key? 'Cause he makes me happy and that might be because of magic."

Linebeck smiled warmly but shook his head. "No, he's not magic. You just find comfort in him. But yes, people can use magic. Someone had to enchant the heirloom knife to be a skeleton key, after all. Not everyone can use magic, though, and never very powerful magic. Usually just minor stuff. It is generally triggered by certain strong emotions, like love, rage, melancholy, or any other emotion that is felt strongly. It usually happens after the age of twelve, and magic varies from person to person, depending on what they want and their personality and species.

"The most common emotions can also impact what kind of magic you get, too. But that's not important right now... though I might get magic soon. Both of my parents were apparently both magic-users, to that boosts my chances. I dunno about you. But we both know some people that can use magic. Oshus is a notable magic-user in the city. Not too many people know what he can do, but apparently, he actually has a few different types of magic to use. The siblings have magic, too. Leaf has minimal control over fire, Neri can create weak boundaries, and Ciela can send out shock-waves in the air. They don't have to use them very often.

"Another notable person that can use magic is Bellum. That's another reason why he's feared. His magic is kinda weird, too. He can summon five tentacles made of black smog from his back." Link made a clearly disgusted face, and Linebeck laughed. "Yeah, it is pretty weird, but he can use them really well, like to grab stuff or people. He can only use them for a few minutes, then he gets too tired to keep them up. But he uses them to catch criminals that run, or when he needs to fight."

Link shifted, then asked, "So, he only uses them on convicted criminals?"

"Yeah. It tires him out really badly so he can't use it very often." Linebeck sat back on his pillow. "Well, you should get some sleep." The other kid nodded, laying on his side but still facing Linebeck. "...Do you want something?"

After a few minutes, Link glanced away and asked, "What do you think about love? Like, what does it mean to you? I've really only seen it when referring to love between people dating or family that are related to each other."

Linebeck scowled and muttered, "You want to ask my opinion on something like that? My basic opinion that there's love between everyone with bonds, between friends, adopted and blood family, lovers, and a leader and the citizens that they care for. It can be between many things. It's very different from lust."

A bemused expression crossed over Link's face. "What's lust?"

His ears suddenly felt warm; Linebeck shook his head. "I'm not going over that. Get some sleep. You should feel better in the morning." He patted Link on the head, and the kid nodded, nestling closer to Linebeck.

After some time in the darkness, Linebeck relaxed, assuming Link was asleep. For a kid of five years old, Link was awful curious about things he shouldn't really understand. But, after all, his childhood had been all but shattered. Surprisingly, Linebeck started to feel choked up, but he shoved his emotions back down. No need for that. It was unnecessary on the streets, in his opinion. Weakness, if anything. He flinched as Link shifted, his open eyes dimly visible in the lamplight-less darkness. "Ah, you're still awake."

"I've got a question," Link asked sheepishly.

"Go ahead."

"Does everyone feel love?"

With hesitation and slow words, Linebeck murmured, "Most people do, but there are some who might not. Anyone capable of making friends and acquaintances can feel love. I think the people who can't find love are purely sadistic and feed off the suffering of others, not the joy or happiness. I-if you get what that means."

An entire minute must've passed before Link let out an affirming and satisfied grunt. Linebeck felt a tension in his limbs relax, but return when Link asked slowly, "Do you think that Bellum feels love? I mean, he's murdered people, imprisoned even orphans, and seems to show no emotion other than... uh... not much respect for others. Do you think he feels love for anyone?"

The tension remained painfully, for so long that Linebeck was scared that it would turn to cramps. With the same hesitation and slow wording as the last response, he said, "I'm sure he's got someone he loves. Actually, yeah, he does have someone he loves. H-he's not emotionless or fully based off suffering, even if he might seem like that at first."

Another pause from Link, then the boy nodded. He didn't seem to have thought about the answer he was given too hard. "Ok. Linebeck?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you love me? I love you, and we're technically brothers. Do you love me back?"

"Yeah, kid. We're practically family at this point, even if it's been for a month or two. How long we've known each other doesn't matter, if you ask me."

"Ok. Goodnight."


	19. Chapter 19

The festival had started in the beginning of the week, but Link didn't attend properly until the last day. He did get to watch, however. Linebeck invited him to stay with him while they sold the soup. He managed to steal sips of the soup when Linebeck and one of the siblings weren't looking. Each day, a different sibling helped at the stand, and they split the pay with the two urchins helping.

It was snowy, the cold, white ice covering the city smoothly like a blanket. Link spent his mornings playing around in it until he got too cold and waited inside the library until the festival officially started each day. His fever was gone, much to Linebeck's relief. He made a little snow fort while Linebeck argued with Ciela on the price of the soup, and they eventually settled on five rupees. The second day, Linebeck explain to Link how their cut would work.

"Most people will either pay with a blue rupee or five green ones. If it's a blue rupee, we don't get any pay. If it's five green ones, we get three out of the five."

The first day was calm, mostly adults checking it out. Link watched people wander through the street, stopping and tipping street performers or stopping to eat. A stand close to the library's was selling tiny finger puppets. Link sat and watched it on the lunch break, telling a clearly uninterested Linebeck about the different animals they had.

The city orphans didn't visit until later in the first day, swarming the streets and cringing away from adults who neared them. A few of the urchins had stolen from other stands, but only Link and Linebeck noticed. That or no one cared.

At one point, a rather young orphan, maybe even younger than Link, had been watching their stand for almost an hour, shivering and letting his eyes follow whoever bought the soup eagerly. He looked hungry but didn't walk up. Link crossed his arms on the table, pulling himself up for a moment and letting his legs dangle. The kid had no money- that was the problem. Linebeck wasn't watching, he was actually sitting under the table and counting their money in the cramped space.

They had been selling the soup in small disposable bowls, having the texture of cardboard, but held the soup in successfully. Link deftly picked one off the stack and poured a bit of the warm soup in. Link watched the small chunks of fish bob and float in the broth with the herbs for a moment, the smell making it tempting to eat it himself. But he held it out, hoping the orphan boy would take note. "Hey, hey," Link whisper-shouted, knowing that if Linebeck heard, he'd demand that the kid pay.

He repeated the words, only louder, and the kid looked up. Link took a spoon from the side and slipped it into the soup, holding it out to the kid and smiling brightly. "For you," Link pleasantly explained. The child's eyes widened, and he scampered up, pointing at the soup and then gesturing to himself with a confused expression. Link nodded again, grinning, and the boy took the soup from his hand, looking at it and walking over to a bench nearby. He smiled at Link thankfully, and Link waved at him back.

After that, they sold only a few more bowls before they had to return to the library. Ciela, who had been in charge that day, went over the earnings with Oshus, then returned to Linebeck. "Grandpa says we did well today. Your soup seems to be popular. It is good, I'll admit. You should make some more tonight, just in case we run out at some point."

Link watched Linebeck nod and walk into the kitchen again, but this time, Link followed and offered to help. Linebeck had hesitated, then sighed, shrugged, and muttered, "Yeah, why the hell not?"

He ordered Link to fill the pot with a little bit of water before he poured some milk in himself and gave him instructions on how to properly stir it. Linebeck explained to Link what he was doing while he added ingredients, telling him what the herbs were for. He explained what flavors were added with each ingredient, and when Link asked, he said that he recalled the recipe from his time with his parents. Before they were done, Linebeck handed Link the salt and pepper shakers, and told him to add both. The boy added more salt than pepper, then voiced his own preference for salt foods over stuff with pepper when handing the shakers back to Linebeck. They each tasted a spoonful of the soup, agreeing that the added salt made it better.

The next day, it snowed, but only lightly. There were more orphans, and the younger ones played in the snow and shyly offered money for what they wanted while the older traded with other items in addition to money. Linebeck handled orphan customers while Neri dealt with the adults. Link knew that the siblings preferred that setup due to Linebeck's vocabulary and general speech pattern at times. Not that he wasn't charismatic.

A few times in the day when the selling was slow, Linebeck would leave the stand and walk up and down the street, advertising the soup and directing people to the stand. Link eventually got bored, and he and Linebeck talked under the stand during their lunch break.

"Can you tell me about the different types of rupees?" Link asked at one point. "I'm not too sure what they all are valued at aside from blue and green."

Linebeck set his soup aside and dug around in their bag, setting out a small green rupee, and a blue, red, and a purple variation next to it. "You know that green is one, blue is five, and I'm sure I told you a few weeks ago that red is twenty. Purple is fifty. It goes higher than that; silver is one-hundred, and gold is three-hundred. There are a few variations, such as orange being one-hundred, and a big green rupee being one-hundred as well, and a bit red rupee is two-hundred, but those and the base." Linebeck handed Link a red rupee. "Keep this, you can use it tomorrow. Tomorrow's the last day, but I'll go with you."

Link quietly thanked Linebeck for the money and finished up his soup.

Earlier that day, Link was able to see an example of Leaf's magic, the first time he managed to see a person use magic up close. Neri had muttered that the soup was getting cold, and Linebeck volunteered to look for Leaf. Neri told him that Leaf was down near the fountain that Link recalled fishing for money in, and said that it would be hard for Linebeck to get back. Despite that, Linebeck ran off, and soon returned with Leaf in tow.

"How'd you find us so quickly?" Neri hissed at Linebeck, confused and slightly flustered by the amount of people in the street. "It's so crowded, and we aren't even near the library?"

Linebeck shrugged. "I just found you guys. To be honest, I was looking for Link, and just knew he was still here. I remember the way back, anyways. Leaf?" The young man nodded, tousling his own red hair for a moment.

Link stepped back a bit, watching Leaf place his hands on the side of the pot. His hands seemed to turn a shade of red, and flames slowly appeared on them. The air near the fire seemed to shimmer, and embers fell and melted the snow on the stand. The fire didn't spread from Leaf's hands, and soon enough, the soup in the pot was bubbling. "Alright, no need to make it evaporate," Linebeck drawled, waving Leaf away.

Leaf nodded and back away, flicking his wrists and the flames dissipated. Link stared, then breathed, "That's so cool." Leaf smiled sheepishly and walked off back into the crowd. Linebeck peered into the soup and waved the steam away. To Link, the steam looked a lot like people's breaths in the cold. He'd have to ask Linebeck about that earlier. Maybe it was since they were both warm.

They sold more soup than the first day, and Linebeck was blatantly mirthful about their cut of the pay. Link went to sleep early, hoping to get up sooner than he usually did. He woke up earlier than Linebeck, who usually didn't even sleep in the first place. He shook Linebeck awake and tugged him out into the library room, the early dawn sunlight filtering in through the large windows. It was almost surreal to wander around the nearly deserted library with the pale light slowly getting brighter. There were no clouds, but it was still freezing.

They spent the rest of the early morning waiting for Oshus and the siblings to get up, and Link almost fell asleep waiting. Once Leaf woke up and set out to prepare the stand once again, the two orphans wandered after him and watched him reheat the soup in the same manner as he had done before. While Leaf prepared the stand, Link and Linebeck sat on a nearby bench.

Link leaned forward and glanced up and down the street. "Maybe we should look around until lunch, then help out at the stand again. When are we gonna have to leave the library?"

Linebeck shrugged, leaning back and flipping his coat collar up. His ears were starting to hurt due to the cold. "We might have to leave in a day or two. I mean, we can stay there, just not in the room. I've got to sell some stuff to the orphan marketplace, though, so we're gonna have to do that." He gently pulled link's beanie off his head and looked it over. "I'm surprised this is still as clean as it is." Link whined and pulled it out of his hands, tugging it back over his hair and ears.

"We've only got twenty to spend?" Link asked, pulling out the red rupee he'd hidden in his shoe. "That's not much." He pouted almost forlornly, but Linebeck sighed. "What?"

Linebeck pulled out two more red rupees from their bag. "We've got about sixty, it's just that I only trust you with twenty." He laughed at Link's indignant expression and stood up, stretching. "Well, should we stake out a few places to check out?"

"Stake... out?"

Linebeck sighed again. "See what looks interesting before they open. C'mon." He helped Link to his feet. The two of them strolled down the street yet again but taking more time to look at their surroundings. The brick and metal buildings seemed less intimidating when it was sunny and bright out.

Link expressed clear interest in small stands selling candy or similar treats. He pointed at the little finger puppet stand he had noticed the other day, but Linebeck simply ordered that he not try and buy anything like that. They were urchins who wandered the city, they could really only have a limited number of belongings. Link then countered by reminding Linebeck of Rainbakku, but he simply responded by saying that Rainbakku could fit in the bag and was useful as a comfort item.

As people started to attend to their stands or approached the stands, Linebeck let Link lead him around, deciding where to go. Link kicked up snow as he jogged around, and they lingered around a fountain in the middle of the street while Link decided where to go. After a while, Link tugged Linebeck aside and said, "I want to find a few stands that sell food. How much does that usually cost?"

Linebeck shrugged, but muttered, "We can afford it. Just lead the way." He smiled weakly but felt fine. Just tired; weary. Link took no notice of it. The boy smiled and hopped slightly, and started to tug Linebeck along the street, excited and eager.

While they walked, peering at the passing stands, Link said, "I wanna try and buy some candy. Can you tell me if you see something?"

"Sure, kid," Linebeck murmured, glancing around. A few stands didn't have signs, just showed wares on the counter. They passed a few street performers, playing music or singing. Link would slow down around them smiling at the performers. They eventually stopped at a small stand, and Link was starting at little balls wrapped in paper.

"What are those?" Link asked, picking one up. He turned it over in his hand, and Linebeck handed the person running the stand a red rupee, getting three blue ones back as Linebeck let Link take five of the little items.

"It's candy," Linebeck explained, steering Link over to a bench so they could sit. "Try it, I think this might be honey candy. It's just honey but all hardened into little balls. Try it." Link slowly unwrapped the candy and stared at the amber sphere, then popped it in his mouth. "Don't try and bite down on it, it can get sticky and it's hard candy. You're just supposed to suck on it until it's small enough."

Link nodded and was quiet for a bit, then said around his candy, "It's good!" Linebeck smiled warmly at Link's own smile. Link quickly unwrapped a second candy and threw it in along with the first.

"Don't choke," Linebeck laughingly advised. Link smiled sheepishly, then looked a bit worried. "I'm kidding. But, seriously." Linebeck unwrapped one of his own candies and placed it in his mouth with a grin. They both stared at each other, then broke into giggles.

They went back to looking at stands with two of the candies left. Link didn't speak but pointed at interesting stands. Once done with his candy, Link started sprinting ahead of Linebeck, but was careful not to leave his line of sight. Link ended up playing around with a dog that belong to one of the stands. The dog's owner was running a small shop for pet treats, so they had no reason to stick around aside from the dog.

Linebeck jogged down the street after Link, and they stopped at a number of different stands. By lunchtime, they had paused at the bench to properly get an idea of what they had. They'd spent all of the money they had decided on bringing, so Linebeck managed to convince Link to help out at the stand with him for the rest of the day.

Link took the small pie they had bought, and Linebeck didn't even know Link had taken it before the kid said anything. A small stash of different wrapped fruit candies was stashed in the messenger bag, hopefully hidden well enough so they could be eaten at a different day without interference. Link leaned back against the bench and glanced over at Linebeck. "What else did we get? I wasn't paying attention to anything other than this, honestly."

Linebeck scooted over a bit and started setting the items on the space between them. Mostly food; a couple apples, a small bowl of rice with a cover over it, and a bag of dried jerky. He had mostly chosen the jerky for when they'd go back on the streets; there was enough for about three days. Put with the remaining small oranges, candies, and whatever he could steal that night, they'd be set for at least a week.

Link smiled and said, "Cool! We've got some stuff for later, too." He gently pushed the items away and placed the pie next to him, glancing up at Linebeck. "Wanna share?"

"We need utensils, though. Can you wait really quick?" As Linebeck got up, Link did the same. He paused, regarding the younger orphan. "Really? You can't just wait, alone?" Link stubbornly shook his head. With a sigh, Linebeck muttered, "Well, we might as well leave our stuff near the stand, so nothing is taken. C'mon, c'mon."

They trudged through the snow back to the library's stand, weaving through the crowd. Linebeck waved with a free hand at Ciela, and jogged over. "Can you do Link and I a solid really quick?" He explained that he wanted her to keep an eye on their stuff, and she begrudgingly agreed. "Ok. We'll be back in a bit." Linebeck tugged Link along behind him, peering around warily.

"You look nervous," Link observed. "Why are you nervous?"

Linebeck shrugged, then said, "'Cuz Bellum's here. He's around the fountain up the street. I saw him. But that's not important. He comes here every year." He led Link through the crowd. They could slip back into the library for a bit and take a fork each. Wouldn't take long at all.

They ran in quickly, greeting Leaf as they passed him, explaining their purpose. He helped them collect utensils and talked with them for a bit.

"Are you two enjoying yourselves?" Leaf asked them with a smile. "I always hate when it's my turn to stay cooped up in the library. But, someone's gotta do it."

Linebeck rolled his eyes disdainfully at Leaf's weak attempt to make conversation. Link, however seemed happy with Leaf's interaction. "We're having fun! I like the festival. I don't want to leave the library."

Leaf's expression darkened, and he hastily handed the two of them forks. "Well... you're going to have to at some point. You can't stay here forever, and we don't want trouble with the Warden and his faction." He pulled back a bit, pushing close the drawer they had open. "Sorry," he added guiltily. "It's not my choice."

Link averted his gaze, looking downtrodden. Linebeck nodded stiffly, and said, "Well, it's been like this for as long as I know. We'll be fine." He tapped Link on the shoulder, and the two of them left the kitchen, but not without leaving the bowl of rice they had bought on a counter. They had no need for it, and couldn't carry it around for long. Link waved at a small group of orphans staying inside, and they waved back. There was a strange air of melancholy, now. It was uncomfortable to Linebeck; he shoved open the doors more aggressively than necessary. He felt Link's skittish gaze on his back and glanced over his shoulder to get a look at him. "You look nervous."

"That's what I said to you earlier."

Linebeck frowned but didn't response. He trudged back out into the snow, finding their way back to the stand. Ciela must've been on her own lunch break; the stand was unattended to. Link ducked under the counter while Linebeck brushed some snow off, gently and cautiously pushing the soup pot to the side. It was still warm, and it felt nice on his cold hands. Link set up the pie on the counter and watched Linebeck cut it into slices with the forks.

"Have you ever had pie?" Link asked once Linebeck was finished. Link took his own fork and poked the foil covering on the sides of the pie. "I've never had any."

"Only a couple times before. It's good. This is a cherry pie, I'm sure you'll like it. It's hot, though, so be careful not to burn your tongue." Linebeck folded the tin foil down, making a makeshift plate for the two of them. Ciela would be irritated if they made a mess, and Linebeck didn't want to have to endure that. He softly told Link to try and be clean but could tell that the boy would still make some sort of mess.

They watched people walk down the street while they ate their slices, the warm pie warming them up, even only for a bit. Link pointed out every dog he saw, pointing up at birds that flew overhead. When he asked Linebeck where all the cats were, the high-strung orphan muttered that they'd be hiding somewhere warm. Link went quiet after that but commented on how he liked the pie.

Linebeck's gaze consistently flicked from Link, to the street, to further down the street, then back at the counter and their food. He was nervous but wasn't clear on why. It was a festival day, a happy day where everyone was able to spend some time along the main street in the snow. There was a small group of kids making a very misshapen snowman down the street.

Linebeck put his fork down and crossed his arms on the counter. Link eyed the remaining pie in front of him, but Linebeck shoved him away when he reached for it. "No, I'll eat it later. Finish your own. If you want more, take another slice from the pie. You only get two." Link pouted, but it was fake. He was probably trying to guilt trip Linebeck. Jokes on him, Link was traveling with a kid that wasn't charitable in the least.

Linebeck went back to eating his pie once Link finished his own slice. He was certainly going slower than Link, and was much cleaner, as he predicted. He rubbed off a bit of the sticky sweet filling on the counter while Link started on his next piece. "You're a mess," Linebeck muttered, staring at the filling all around Link's mouth. Link stuck his tongue out rebelliously and giggled to himself when he saw Linebeck's disgusted expression. "For Hylia's sake, have some decency. Clean yourself off."

Link shook his head and went back to his pie. Linebeck glanced sullenly back out to the street and waved at Ciela. She was making her own way through the crowd. He helped Link relocated to a nearby bench to give her space. Linebeck wrapped the last slice of pie in the tin foil and stared at it, wondering where to put it. It would make a mess no matter what. He'd probably have to get rid of it by tomorrow. That was plenty of time. One Link was done, Linebeck took some napkins from the library's stand and wiped Link's face off. "Quit fidgeting, this is for your own good, goddammit!"

He threw the stained napkin on the ground when done and stood up. "Alright, c'mon. We've got no money left, so there's no point in wandering around. Might as well help out at the stand again, that way we can try and earn back some extra money." Without waiting for a response, Linebeck dragged Link back to the stand, and they stay under the counter while Ciela handled the actual business.

* * *

"It got dark really early," Link said, peering up at the cloudy late afternoon sky.

"Looks like it'll snow again," Linebeck muttered while they walked back to the library. It was late now, and most people were putting away their wares and stands. Ciela had sent the boys back to the library with Neri once everything slowed. Link hummed to himself, kicking over small mounds of snow as they went. Neri said nothing.

The festival had gone well, the two brotherly orphans had had fun, it was a good three days. But, for some reason, Linebeck had a bittersweet feeling tugging at his heart. That didn't matter, though; Link was happy, that was important. If they were lucky, it wouldn't be a harsh winter. But it might be snowy, at the best.

Linebeck herded Link into the library, sitting him down at a table and getting a book for them to share. Oshus entered the library along with Ciela, the two of them talking in hushed tones. Linebeck was used to that at this point, those running the library seemed to have a lot of damn secrets. Not that Linebeck could criticize them. He had probably as many secrets as the four of them.

Link was happy with the book he chose, and Linebeck left to get then each a bowl of soup before they ran out. The other urchins in the library had gotten a bowl before them, and it looked like seconds was a popular option. Link ate his in silence while reading. Linebeck himself mostly focus on eating. Link assumed he was reading the book with him, and he let the kid believe it. In reality, he had already read it, and knew what happened.

"Are you tired?" Linebeck asked, poking Link on the shoulder. It was nearly dark out, and most of the orphans around them had started getting ready to sleep. "We might want to get a bit extra sleep, especially if we're leaving tomorrow."

Link shrugged. He let the book fall from his grip and leaned on Linebeck. "I'm tired, but I don't want to leave."

"Well, we've got to. C'mon." Linebeck helped Link to his feet, but the kid leaned on his on their way back to their room. Linebeck tossed his coat on the bed, cringing as just about everything in the pockets fell out onto the blanket. "Shit," he muttered. "I keep forgetting that that can happen."

Link sat on the bed and handed Linebeck the lighter. Linebeck tossed everything back into their pockets, only careful with the knives. Everything else was simply shoved in before he hung it off the foot of the bed once again. "Well," Linebeck muttered, taking off his messenger bag. "That was a nice three days, huh?" Link nodded. He caught Rainbakku as Linebeck threw the stuffed animal at him. "Go to sleep, kid. We're going to be doing a lot of walking tomorrow."


	20. Chapter 20

Linebeck had woken Link fairly early, and they'd gathered their stuff quickly. Link waited by the doors while Linebeck stole a small container of boiled eggs for the trip, and they ate an egg each as they returned to the streets. Link said nothing for the first few hours, while Linebeck talked to himself about future plans and ways to survive for the new few weeks.

"Interesting to be back on the streets, eh, kid?" Linebeck finally asked. They were back in the alleyways, wandering without a destination in mind.

Link shrugged. "I'll miss Ciela, Neri, Leaf, and Oshus."

"We can visit the library at any time. We can survive without their help, anyways." Linebeck pulled out the map, unfolding it carefully. "We could go back to the orphan market, again. That's a good place to stick around during the winter. Most everyone helps each other out there, and we've got some stuff we could sell." He silently traced a path while Link peered around, shivering.

Link watched Linebeck shove the map back into the pocket, and said, "I'm cold. And hungry. Is there a warm place we can stop at for a bit?"

"No," Linebeck bluntly said, trudging down the alley. "You can get used to this. We can't rely on anyone for very long." He turned a sharp corner, passing a few shelters. "It'll take us a day or two to get back to the market. There are fewer phantom patrols in the winter, but Bellum still does his usual rounds. Our main problem is Tetra and her group, but that's not too important, and I doubt they could find us."

Behind him, Link tugged his beanie further down over his ears. It was freezing, and his teeth were chattering. How Linebeck was tolerating it, he didn't know. Then again, he had a coat and scarf, and had been out here for longer. He had much more experience. Link picked up his pace and grabbed for Linebeck's hand. He held it in his own, smiling up at Linebeck. He didn't get a smile back, but Linebeck glanced at him for a fraction of a moment. "Your hand's warm," Link stated.

"Ok. Cool. So's yours." Linebeck paused, peering around the alleyway they were in, and muttered, "Definitely warmer than anything around here. We'll stop in a bit. I'll check the map and see if there's anything notable around wherever we stop." Link nodded in agreement. "We shouldn't be bothered much. No one really likes the snow."

"I like the snow," Link quietly said.

They explored the alleyways for an hour longer, taking so many turns that Link was worried that they were going away from the market rather than towards it. But he trusted that Linebeck knew where he was going. No one else was out, strangely enough. Well, there were a few other urchins wandering around, but they didn't really count. Everyone seemed to be staying inside. Link let out a long breath, watching the little cloud drift away with amusement. They finally stopped in a long alleyway, huddled close together under a shelter.

Link hugged his knees to his chest and murmured, "I wish we had left a note for Oshus and the others. Do you think they're worried about us?"

"Nah," Linebeck responded, almost haughtily. "You're with me, and they know I'm good at surviving on the streets." He smiled to himself. "They know that I do better than most of the kids out here." His smiled turned grim, morbid. "I mean, I haven't died yet, have I?"

Link bit his bottom lip and said, "Don't say that! Not that many kids die out here. I'm sure there are plenty of kids doing just fine, like you!" He hugged Linebeck's arm tightly.

Linebeck shrugged, his morbid grin only widening. "Honestly, it's a dark world out here. You're still naïve. I had an advantage getting out here; I already had an idea of the city's layout, how things would work, how to fight, and where would be good places to stay near. I was lucky. Them, not so much, clearly. You're lucky, too, meeting me so early on. The only reason Tetra and her group are doing so well is because they're not afraid to get theirs hand dirty, and Tetra grew up with this city's leader."

Link shut his eyes tightly. "Stop! That's so cruel, to say stuff like that about other orphans who are hurt!" He shook Linebeck's arm a bit, peering up at him with wide eyes. "Please."

Linebeck went quiet, the smile slipping away immediately. "Sorry," he muttered. "Just got a bit carried away." He gently patted Link on the head but averted his gaze entirely.

They sat close to each other for some time in the silence, not speaking. Eventually, Link quietly asked, "Did you ever go to school? Because I know we've passed a few schools while exploring, and I was wondering if you've ever been to one. I hadn't, but I think I was going to go to school once I got older."

Linebeck thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, I never went to school. I was homeschooled for the most part, then spent my time on the streets learning from the books in the library."

"Homeschooled?"

"I didn't go to school but was taught at home."

"By your parents?"

"I- uh- yeah. That's usually how that works. Most kids do go to school, though. But it costs money." Linebeck paused, then murmured, "It's honestly a good chance that I was homeschooled because we couldn't afford school. I learned a lot, though."

After a few more moments, Link quietly asked, "Can you teach me how to better use the knife? The kitchen one? I want to at least be able to better protect myself."

"Sure!" Linebeck helped Link to his feet. "Just give me a second." He pulled both knives from their pockets, quietly thankful that he had never been cut by them while running. He handed Link the kitchen knife, telling him to be careful. "Ok, try and hold it in one hand. Y'know, with the blade point up." Linebeck demonstrated quickly, hoping Link would copy him correctly. "Also, I'm not a master or anything. I was taught in bits and pieces, and mostly end up randomly stabbing if I need to."

Link mimicked the way he was holding the knife. "Ok, good. If you want to use it defensively, don't hold it out all the way. Keep it closer to your chest and use your other arm to cover your chest. Duck your head a bit."

Link did as he said, and then said, "You never do this, though."

"I don't bother with going defensive so often. Besides, I don't get into many knife fights. But it's good to know. Now, if you get into an actual fight, and move around a lot. Keep facing whoever the hell picks a fight with you."

Link hopped to the side a few times, then asked, "Are we going to spar?"

"No, not right now. Honestly, if you pull a knife, hopefully that should end the fight since no one wants to get shanked. Again, I have different ethics than most people, but this is what I was taught. If someone does stab at you, don't stab back at them; get out of the way or block with your other arm- don't get yourself stabbed, though."

"How do I-"

"Hush, we'll do that later. If you do end up actually fighting, stay out of range and wait for a good opportunity, like when they're pulling their arm back." Linebeck held up his own knife, relaxing a bit. "We've both got fairly long knives, so that gives us a bit of an advantage over kids with crude shanks or sticks."

Linebeck went back into his own position. "C'mere, I wanna show you how you can disarm someone." He beckoned for Link to moved closer towards him. "You can attack me; I'll show you how to block."

Link balked. "But I don't want to hurt you!"

"You won't," Linebeck assured him. "I'm better at this than you. You can just move your knife slowly if you don't want to cause damage." He got into his own position, defensive. Link swayed a few feet away, staring. He inched forward a bit. "So, you need to, like, slash at my stomach. Again, you can go slow."

Link nodded, and slashed sideways at Linebeck's stomach, careful to not cut him, but close enough to touch his coat. Linebeck stepped back and to the side, and slashed over and around Link's forearm, holding the cutting edge of the blade against Link's wrist. He didn't apply enough pressure to hurt him, but it was enough to be uncomfortable. "Obviously, you'd need to be much faster in an actual fight, but that's a good way to do it." He let Link's hand go with a lopsided smile. "Ok, let's try another one. Slash a bit higher, more around my head."

Link nodded, rubbing his wrist for a moment. He tightened his grip on his own knife and slowly went for around Linebeck's head. Again. Linebeck stepped back and to the side but slashed with the blade pointing up at the underside of Link's forearm and stopped when the tip pressed against the skin. "This type might require a bit of cutting for it to work," Linebeck explained, pulling back. Link nodded, backing up as well. They both smiled at each other.

With a slight sigh, Linebeck replaced his knife in its pocket and reached for Link's. "Well, that went well. We won't practice any more today, as I'm worried that we'll get hurt. If we get something that we can use to practice safely, then we'll continue." Link handed him his knife, and it was put away. "For now, we should get going."

Link nodded. "Ok. Thanks for that, though. Who taught you?"

"I read a few books on it."

"Oh. They have those at the library?"

"They've got books on pretty much everything." Linebeck took Link's hand and they started through the alleys again. "Knife fighting is pretty scary, honestly. Freaks me out a lot, but I'm good at hiding it." He hesitated, then added, "I'm a good actor when I need it. Or, well, a good liar. Both, really, though they're pretty much the same thing if you think about it." He shrugged, glancing back for a reaction from Link. Nothing but a faint smile. Good enough.

They wandered for some time, even taking time to break into a run to cover more distance. Linebeck almost ran into another urchin at one point and had to bite back a stream of curses as the urchin snapped at him to be more careful. Link had watched their quick interaction from a distance, and apologized to the orphan, who accepted the apology pretty graciously.

Link stumbled to a stop, panting and doubled over while Linebeck stretched a few meters away. "Let's stop again, get something to eat," Linebeck said, leaning against the brick wall of a tall building. It had started snowing, but only lightly. The sky was gray, and a few birds fluttered around. It was peaceful, but almost unnerving. Link wasn't used to seeing most streets almost deserted, save for some people shoveling snow. It must've been mid-afternoon at this point.

Link, catching his breath, said, "I kinda wanna get some sleep."

Linebeck shook his head, and gestured for Link to sit next to him. "Nah, but we will take a break. We've got some leftover candy, and I found a good spot for the pie, though we should eat that when we get to the market." Link pouted at the last part but agreed to take one of the wrapped candies. That kept him quiet for a bit when Linebeck talked. "So, I think the festival this year was good for the library. Aside from occasional donations, that's just about the only money they get. I've heard, though, that once a year, an anonymous donator donates enough to keep them running for, like, three years more. It's pretty weird and they've never tracked the donator down. But the most popular theory is that it's Zelda. She likes the library but doesn't go too often. She kinda just picks out a huge number of books and doesn't go back until she's done."

Link giggled around his candy but didn't say anything. "I've met her once or twice," Linebeck continued. "She's nice. I've heard that she's really wise, and that's why she's such a good leader, but otherwise rushes into things or oversteps boundaries. But she's still improving. I'm pretty sure she's friends with Bellum, I've occasionally seen them talking. It's well-known that she and Ganondorf have a very strained relationship and only talk when needed."

Link, his candy almost gone, piped up, "I'd like to meet Zelda. She sounds nice."

"She is. We've talked exactly once, but she was nice. I think it was a bit after Oshus grilled me after I entered the library. Damn, he talked for a long time before letting me go. And I met Zelda while wandering around the library. But, seriously, the old man talked with me for goddamn ages. I thought he'd never stop. He even talked to me for longer than you did."

"He did?" Link asked, sitting up. "He only talked with me for a bit, explaining the library and what happened to my family and what being an orphan generally was. What did he talk to you about? Do you remember it?"

Linebeck nodded, then went quiet, deep in thought. There was a long pause, then he said, "Yeah, I remember. He told me about the library and the three siblings and explained what being an orphan was like. He then asked me a few questions; like how the government system works, what general shape is the city in, if I could play the piano, if I like cats or dogs, it was weird. He stopped asking questions for a bit, then asked me what my name was for a second time. It was really weird. He didn't do that with you?"

Link shook his head. "Nope. Oshus didn't do that with the new orphans before the festival, either. He just talked with them about the same stuff he told me." He sat back and leaned against Linebeck. "We should get back up in a bit. It's getting even colder. My ears hurt."

Linebeck reached up to his own ears, which had pretty much gone numb at this point. He assumed they were mostly red now. "If you want, we can keep going now. We might be able to reach the market faster that way. It's warmer there, and it's more of a community in the winter." He got to his feet and hugged himself. "Damn, it is cold. Freezing. Frigid. Glacial." He ignored Link's laughter. "I'll tell you about the wintertime market."

He and Link walked side-by-side down the alleyway, kicking up snow every so often. "So, normally, the market is the main hotspot for orphan activity. Most kids spend their time in there until they turn 18. We've been there before, but I told you that it is the perimeter of the city. Most of the phantoms don't know about it, and no one's found evidence of it since there are scouts to alert the market of incoming phantoms. I don't know if Bellum knows about it or not. I think he does.

"It's a good place to buy or sell anything, find food, and even a nice place to sleep. Most of the deserted buildings along the wall have been converted into placed for market-dwelling kids to sleep and live. A few sections are ruled- for lack of a better word- by some adults who used to live as orphans. It's like a mini city. But it's still dangerous. There's less food than everyone needs, fights break out often, usually fights over territory and power. Leaders shift often. Some phantoms have managed to get sections of the marketplace in trouble.

"It's still seen as a safe haven, however. It's close to the orphan-friendly places, and a place for them to live and thrive. But sickness causes all kinds of problems." Linebeck shrugged and reached into the messenger bag for one of the wrapped candies. "Welp, that's all I can tell you for now." He popped the candy in his mouth and glanced down at Link for a moment. The kid looked satisfied.

* * *

It had stopped snowing, but the wind was howling between the alleyways fiercely. Linebeck fought to keep the cloth on their shelter, Link helping him force it to stay on the frame. The wind tossed paper around and Linebeck got a face full of snow but ignored it and fought against the wind. "It's too late for this shit!" he shouted bad-temperedly.

Then again, it was their own fault for settling in an open square for the night. They did get very close to the market, but it was too late to keep going. Link was going to fall asleep on his feet. The wind kicked up just as they got ready to go to sleep. Linebeck cursed under his breath. This wind surely wouldn't last too long. But, then again, it wasn't so bad that if they let go, the cloth would go flying away. It would probably just tumble away in a mound.

Eventually, the wind died down, and Linebeck was able to fix the covering. It was enough cloth to cover the top and the side Link was on as well as a bit of the front. It was almost cozy. They cleared out the snow as much as they could, and Linebeck filled their now-empty water bottle with snow, hoping it would melt into water for them. There wasn't too much of a chance, but Linebeck wasn't against eating snow. He did that every winter, and it helped him when he couldn't find any water.

Link curled up on the group, balling up his beanie to use as a tiny pillow. He didn't look like he wanted to talk. Linebeck decided against speaking to him and sighed. He sat against the wall and stared out at the alleyway. They'd be safe for the night.

He'd been paranoid for the past few days, even a week or two, that they'd be caught by a phantom patrol, brought in for Linebeck's stealing from the house. They might have given up after about three weeks, but he couldn't help but keep glancing over his shoulder. He knew Bellum wasn't looking for them, though, considering, if Linebeck recalled his weekly route, he was on the other side of the city. He rubbed the back of his next, looking down at Link. He looked peaceful and relatively comfortable.

"Hey, hey, kid," Linebeck softly whispered. He was testing to see if Link was awake or not. Link didn't response. He twitched slightly but made no noise. Hopefully he was asleep. Linebeck pulled hos his coat and tossed it over Link. He hesitated, but gently adjusted it over Link to keep him warm.

Linebeck himself would be fine, stuck with his scarf and two shirts. They were both a bit oversized but worked for him. The bottom shirt was white and a bit stained now, the top being an aqua blue, more recently found. He hovered over Link for a moment longer and pulled back. Link should get a coat for himself, or a scarf. Not that it bothered Linebeck to give him his coat a few times.


	21. Chapter 21

Linebeck picked up his pace and kicked over a trashcan. The contents spilled out, a small group of nearby rats scattering away in fright. Link went quiet, but then asked, "Why'd you do that?"

Linebeck turned around a shrugged, walking backwards. "Blowing off some steam. I dunno. Just felt like it." He then smiled, and said, "Well, we're getting pretty close to the marketplace. I think it's good that we haven't run into too many people yet. I'm pretty sure that means that most people and orphans are staying inside. The marketplace can sometimes be a bit crowded in some spots, but there's not enough orphans for it to be crowded anywhere other than a small strip of shops."

Link nodded and started jogging. Linebeck turned back around and ran alongside Link. "We should be pretty close. It's only about a mile away."

"Cool! Can we walk?"

"Yeah, but it'll be faster if we switch between running and walking."

Soon enough, they reached the market. A long alleyway led them in, and Linebeck tugged a panting Link along with him. They had been running for the past few minutes, and Linebeck decided it would be better to keep going, but Link wanted to rest. "I'm in charge," Linebeck told him. "We're gonna keep going until we make it to the market."

Link whined for the first minute but went quiet after Linebeck told him that he could rest when they got there. It was bright, a few stands scattered around. Link didn't recognize it at first, but he had only been there once. And it was now covered in snow. Linebeck let go of Link and started to walk away. "W-wait, where are we going?"

"We're going to look for a place to stay," Linebeck answered. "We need somewhere to sleep. Keep up." He jogged down the empty street, Link trailing behind the best he could. They passed multiple empty stands and homes, ignoring them. Link picked up his own pace and managed to stay side-by-side with Linebeck despite his own exhaustion.

They wandered for some time, and eventually Linebeck led Link into an old inn. An adult was sitting at the counter, reading a beat-up book. Link was hesitant, but Linebeck walked up to the counter. "Hey." The guy looked up. "You got any open rooms? We can pay."

The guy shrugged, pointing up the stairs. "You can check. Lots of people are in right now, so I don't know."

Linebeck mumbled something about it being the guy's job but nodded. "Link, c'mon." He headed up the stairs, Link jogging behind him. They were simple sandstone stairs, common out at the wall. The hallway was narrow, but there was quiet talking from each of the rooms they passed. One of the last rooms was silent, and Linebeck glanced it. It was empty, a small, cramped room, but with a bed and bedside table, a window. "Wait here," Linebeck muttered, and made his way back down the hall.

Link nodded and entered the tiny room. It wasn't claustrophobically small, and Link walked up to the window. He could see out at the market, and saw a kid setting up her own stand. Link backed up from the window and sat on the bed. It was comfy, and only had one blanket and pillow. The room was chilly, as expected in the wintertime, but warmer than being out on the streets. He had been worried that he'd freeze to death last night but woke up to find Linebeck's coat draped over him. Linebeck had been shivering but was fine.

Link sat on the bed for a few minutes and smiled when Linebeck returned. "Can we stay here?"

Linebeck nodded and tossed the messenger bag on the bed next to Link. "Yeah, it was cheap. We can only be here for about three days, but that's enough." He glanced around for a moment. "You'll sleep on the floor."

"Why?" Link asked, almost protesting. It would be cold on the floor, and uncomfortable. That was hardly fair. "We could share the bed-"

"It's not big enough," Linebeck interrupted, waved his hand. "You'll be fine on the floor. We'll head out in a bit, it's too early for too many stands to be up."

Link frowned, recalling the kid setting up her stand outside, but said nothing. Linebeck went through their bag, placing items of worth to the side and organizing everything. The feathers from almost a month ago were set aside, Link had forgotten that they still had those. He placed aside the remainder of their wrapped candies, telling Link that they weren't helpful in terms of satisfying hunger.

Linebeck withdrew Rainbakku from the bag, contemplated it, then placed the stuffed animal on the 'keep' side. Link watched him for a bit more, then asked, "Didn't you tell me that you used to have a stuff animal of your own?"

Without looking up, Linebeck nodded. He placed the lighter on the 'keep' side and the nearly empty tube of healing ointment on the 'sell' pile. Link sat on the floor in front of him, legs crossed and sitting up straight. "...And?"

"And what?" Linebeck asked sharply. He almost sounded irritated. He started to put everything from the 'keep' pile back into the bag, leaving the 'sell' pile on the bedside table. "Why does there need to be an 'and'?"

"I was just wondering what the stuffed animal was."

"Oh," Linebeck mumbled softly. "I already told you," he then snapped. "I had a little cat that I named Copernicus. I dunno where it is, I never took it with me on to the streets." He got to his feet and gathered the 'sell' pile in his arms. "C'mon, we're gonna head out." He walked out the door, Link trailing after him.

"I forgot about Copernicus, but I remember you telling me about him a few weeks ago. How'd you name him?"

Linebeck went slow down the stairs and shrugged. "If I remember correctly, I found it in one of the old closets. I carried him to my dad and announced that he was mine now. I think I called him 'cop-er-cus'. My dad taught me how to pronounce Copernicus, and I named the cat that. I'm pretty sure it was when I was younger, maybe three." He paused, then added, "I'm pretty sure it was an orange little cat. But I already told you this."

Link jogged past Linebeck and pushed open the door. "Closets, as in more than one? Don't most of the normal homes only have one closet?"

The older orphan faltered, then shrugged. "Dunno. Must've been the one closet I found it in, then."

"You say you never remember your parents, but you've started talking more about your dad. Do you not remember your mom?"

Linebeck tensed up slightly. "Don't push me. It's not important. Maybe I spent more time with my dad."

"Do you remember what he looked like?"

"No."

"Then how do you remember interacting with him?"

That seemed to push Linebeck to his limit. "Go sit on a goddamn bench while I do this stuff. I don't need you pestering me with stupid questions like this." Link frowned and flinched away but ran over to a nearby bench and sat on it.

Linebeck sighed and walked up to one of the stands. A nervous-looking kid jumped as Linebeck walked up. "What will you buy?" Linebeck asked, placing the 'sell' pile on the counter.

The kid looked at each item and pointed to the feathers. "I've got a friend who collects these-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, how much'll you pay for them?" Linebeck drawled, not wanting to hear any justifications. The kid handed him a blue rupee for the feathers and shooed Linebeck away. Five wasn't good, but it wasn't bad.

Linebeck spent the next out trading with kids, trudging through the snow. The strip they were on wasn't very long and was one of the lesser visited ones. There was a part further north that was more popular, considered the orphan 'capital'. It was the true market, the rest being dregs created by less familiar urchins. Link was sitting with his knees against his chest on the bench, looking dejected. His own fault for snooping and being nosy.

Linebeck tracked down another kid who gave him two blue rupees for the ointment. The rest of the items, namely the candy and a small notebook that Linebeck stole from the library. He returned to Link quietly, regarding the silent kid from a distance. He still looked hurt. Whatever. Linebeck walked up to him and gently shook his shoulder. "C'mon, it's about afternoon. There's a fountain a bit further down the street, I hope it's not frozen over."

Without waiting for Link's response, he walked away, and some hurried footsteps informed him that Link was following.

The fountain wasn't visible from where Link had been sitting, it was tucked between another inn, and an abandoned shop. It was small and plain, small, thin sheets of ice floating on the clear water. Link walked around it, poking the freezing ice and watching it float around. Linebeck sat on a nearby bench after brushing the snow off and started digging through the bag. "Are you hungry?"

Link shrugged. "Yeah, but we might need to save our food."

Linebeck smiled faintly, pulling out the container of hard-boiled eggs. "Good thinking, but we can spare some eggs. We'll be able to steal whatever food we might need here, anyways." He popped the cover off and pulled out two eggs, handing one to Link. "We'll head back to the room after this and go to the main part of the market tomorrow."

Link nodded and sat next to Linebeck, the two of them silently eating. It started to snow. A few orphans passed them but ignored them. Linebeck organized the stuff in their bag carefully, and prodded Link back to the inn.

They huddled in the room together and Linebeck revealed to Link that he had stolen a book from the library. It was the adventure book that Link liked, but the kid protested it. "But you stole it! That's not good! You have to return it."

Linebeck shook his head. "I left some money in the slot where I took it, I pretty much bought it. I'll return it when we're done." Link pouted but said nothing else. Linebeck tossed the book down at him. "You wanna read it or not? You're gonna worry yourself to death if you freak out every time I steal something." Link pursed his lips but had to agree. He flipped through the book and found his page.

He spent the next hour reading, while Linebeck paced the room and went through their stuff. They didn't eat any dinner, and by the time it was dark, Link had finished the book. He handed it up to Linebeck and sat on the floor. "I'll sleep on the floor, right?"

"Yeah," Linebeck said, and took his coat off, tossing it at Link. "Use this as a blanket again. Don't need you getting hypothermia."

"Hypo-what?"

"Nothing." Linebeck laid down on the bed, hoping to get some sleep. He'd spent last night awake the whole time, and it was uncomfortable. Link curled up on the floor, his hat as a pillow once again, and he seemed to have fallen asleep instantly. Linebeck chuckled to himself. The kid was kinda luck to be able to fall asleep so quickly. He'd be bad for keeping watch, though.

Linebeck slipped out of bed an hour later. He snuck down the hall and left the inn without running into a single person. He didn't take the bag but kept the magic knife with him. Most of the gangs roamed the streets at night, so he'd need protection while he scavenged some stuff to steal. He usually wasn't bothered, though.

Linebeck sauntered down the street, hands in his pockets while he kept any eye out for a target. Most of the time he tried to steal in the orphan market, there was nothing of worth. But he still wanted to check for things to plunder. It was almost habitual. He kicked up snow as he walked, shivering as time wore on. It looked like he wasn't going to find anything in the cold.

He sneezed, peering around to see if he was alone. No one was out and about, and Linebeck's shivering was getting painful. He turned back and started to return to the inn. The buildings were almost monochrome in the dark navy light, the moon obscured by clouds but still shining down on the city. All lighters were out, and not a single animal was visible. It was almost lonely.

Linebeck recalled his first year on the streets. He was painfully alone and ignorant, with the technical idea of how the city worked, but lacking in terms of what he needed to survive. He often cried himself to sleep during the first month, then cast aside past memories in place for present events. He'd managed to make an ally, who taught him how to look out for himself and survive. He owed them his life and grieved when they died.

The knife he'd taken with him out onto the streets was his main connected to his early days on the streets. The only other connection was his tendency to wear coats, but that was common, and not very important. Linebeck glanced over his shoulder for a moment. He wasn't about the be jumped, and he was going to remain paranoid about it even if he was perfectly safe. Besides, he thought he'd heard footsteps.

There, the footsteps again. Linebeck paused, tightening his grip on the knife. It wasn't like it was hidden, he just had it in his hand, out for anyone to see. You'd be stupid to try and mug a kid with a knife. But, still, Linebeck broke into a run. He reentered the inn panting and hurried up to his room. Link was sound asleep on the floor, and Linebeck collapsed on the bed. He must've been hearing things, really. Bored, Linebeck pulled out the map and the pencil, started at both, then started to jot down notes.

* * *

Link crouched down in the snow, making a small pile while Linebeck argued with one of urchin merchants. He wanted to make a snowman. He'd seen other kids making snowmen and wanted to try for himself. He was a minute in, and it was proving to be very difficult. Link frowned, gathering a small bunch of snow in his hands. The cold bit and burned into his palms, but Link dumped it on the rest of the pile and started to smooth it out, the excitement in his heart overriding the protest of his hands.

He whined as Linebeck pulled him away from the snow, saying, "You'll get frostbite or something. C'mon, we need to get going. I want to collect some stuff over the next few weeks. We'll eventually head back to the library in... I'd say three weeks." Link peered up at him, curious, but didn't say a word. "What were you doing?"

Link shrugged, walking besides Linebeck as they entered an alley. "I was trying to make a little snowman. I've seen other orphans do it. Have you ever made a snowman?"

Linebeck shook his head. "I was never outside for long enough."

"Huh. We should do that at some point! Y'know, make a snowman. We can use your scarf! A-and my hat!" Link hopped slightly and almost fell against the wall. "Oops- but we should try and do that!"

Linebeck smiled as he helped Link walk steady. "Be careful. You're going to hurt yourself one of these days." Link smiled sheepishly but didn't respond.

They wandered the dark alleyways, the pure white snow contrasting with the dark, smudged bricks and metal of the surrounding buildings. They seemed to be traveling deeper into the city. "We're not going to stick around the market?"

"No. Not worth it."

"Oh, ok." Link rubbed his hands together and breathed on them in an attempt to warm them back up. "Can we go and get your camera again? Do you ever take it with you?"

Linebeck shook his head. "No, not any more. Not after it was almost stolen. Be careful around here, I think there are rats." Link nodded and moved closer to Linebeck.

It was another gloomy day, the gray clouds blotting out the sun. No birds flew around, and most of the alleyways were deserted. They almost ran into a phantom patrol, and Link worriedly asked Linebeck what would happen if they ran into Bellum. "We won't he's patrolling around the park." Link nodded.

They stopped in a narrow street to eat, huddling next to some empty crates. They both quickly had a sip of their water- the snow had melted- and a hard-boiled egg. They had two left and saved them for the next day. Link ate the white of the egg off first and stared at the yolk for a moment. "It's kinda powdery," he said, and Linebeck snapped at him to shut up and eat it.

They huddled with the crates for a bit, and Linebeck suddenly started shoving Link back, between some crates. "Hey, ow, what are you-"

"Shut up and be quiet!" Linebeck hissed, working on prying open the crate they were behind. It had leather straps around it, looking simply like long belts, and Linebeck worked on disconnecting them. Link peered around the edge at the street, pushing aside a small box, but Linebeck pulled him back over. "We can't be seen." He managed to pry the crate open, and the scrambled back as it crashed to the ground with a dull thunk. Link heard footsteps and considered asking about it when Linebeck pushed him into the crate and followed him. "We need to hide."

Link huddled in the crate, which was thankfully large enough for him to wriggle around once Linebeck joined him inside and worked on re-closing the crate. He ended up cursing under his breath, realizing that it wouldn't work. "Screw it," he muttered, then turned to the opposite side. There was muffled talking just outside. He recognized the voices as one of the nastier gangs around here, led by a kid named Byrne. He was new to the streets and was generally quiet but gathered a small following. Linebeck stabbed a small peephole in the crate, allowing them to better hear and see.

Linebeck peered through from a few inches, sitting back against the crate lid. It was closed but would topple over if he applied too much weight. Link practically sat on his lap, leaning against his and staring out the hole with him. It was cramped, but warmer than out in the cold. The group of kids was small, and Byrne was visible off to the side. He wore a gray scarf over his mouth and a glove over his left hand, his black hair tied back in a ponytail.

The rest of the kids were unimportant to Linebeck, but Link leaned forward and shifted to the side to get a better view. He didn't have many problems with their hiding spot, mostly since he was the smaller of the two. Linebeck leaned in, slightly shoving Link to the side. "Shh, I'm trying to listen." Link nodded and shuffled back against Linebeck.

Byrne seemed to be the one talking. He paced near the box, while the rest of his group seemed to be lingering in front of a closed store. It was still a narrow street, so it was fairly shaded. "...We'll go through with this, objections or not. We need the money, and the guy is offering us quite a bit to help out."

Another kid interjected, sounding like a girl. "Yeah, but this does seem pretty shady. I mean, some adult wants us to deliver him some crates?" Linebeck felt as though his insides had been frozen over. "Real shady. But, whatever."

Link seemed to understand that this was bad as well. He shrank against Linebeck, almost causing him to push over the lid. Byrne kept talking. "Well, we should use these crates-" he pointed at Link and Linebeck's hiding spot, "and take them to the spot. I say it'll take a day or two, but we can get a wagon and shorten that to only a day. Good idea?"

There was a general murmur of agreement. The kids dispersed, and the footsteps circled around the crates. Linebeck went tense as a pair stopped behind their crate. Someone was re-attaching the belts. There was shifting, and a kid ran away. It seemed that someone was going to catch a wagon. The crates were shifted around them, and the crate they were hiding in was shifted an inch. A kid grunted. "Damn, this one's heavy. I thought these were empty."

"Well, we're not allowed to open them. It might have some produce and stuff in it. We just need to wait until Damian comes back with the wagon." That was Byrne talking. "C'mon, Selene, help us with this." Their crate was shoved forward, and it sounded and felt like a third person helped out with the first two.

Link had gone deathly pale, and Linebeck felt his heart hammering in his chest. They were in trouble. Huge trouble, now. Link pressed against Linebeck, who wrapped his arms tightly around Link. "Stay quiet, ok?" Linebeck murmured. Link nodded.

For the next few minutes, their crate was shoved into the street, then picked up and placed on a wagon. They were shoved onto a different side, the two orphans inside falling over each other. Link whined, Linebeck moving to the side to let Link get comfortable. Link was shaky and pale, and clung close to Linebeck as the wagon started moving. From the sound of it, Byrne's group was on the wagon with the crates.

Linebeck stabbed another hole in the crate and faced out into the retreating street. It was softly snowing. He cautiously put the knife away and took off his messenger bag. Link hugged him tightly and whispered, "Where are we going?"

"I dunno, but we're going to have to stay here. They seem to be giving these crates to another person for cash. But at least there's enough space to sleep and eat." Link nodded and shifted in the crate again, managing to sit so he was facing Linebeck. "We've got to be quiet, obviously. S-sorry about this. I didn't think hiding in this crate would get us in such deep shit..."


	22. Chapter 22

Bellum cursed under his breath, glancing over his shoulder at Zelda. She'd been awfully nosy the past month and was getting on his nerves. His already short temper was being filed to a point that he could use to jab at her when she pushed him too far. Zelda was usually pretty smart, but right now, she was stupid to remain persistent about getting into his business.

"Zelda, for the last time, go the hell away. What do you even want? Give me a day to myself."

She sighed, and snapped, "I'm just trying to get some help. Can you just stop so I can ask for help on this? This is more of Ganondorf's forte, but it's been pushed on me since Ganondorf is gone, but your phantoms are the ones who picked up on it."

Bellum sighed, nearly snapping his clipboard in half. "Let me finish up my work here, and we'll meet at that bar near my house. I need a drink in order to deal with you, anyways." That might've offended Zelda, but, at the time, Bellum couldn't care less. He heard her walking away a moment later, anyways. Finally.

The last week had been stressful for him. Plenty of orphan gangs had been breaking into homes, so he'd been all over the city to keep an eye on things. Zelda's news was probably something like that again, but maybe worse. Ganondorf also dealt with the trade part of the city, and keeping an eye on the factory, so they'd occasionally dealt with people smuggling in or out items, or orphans illegally helping said smugglers for cash. He was proud of his job and such, but sometimes he was half tempted to lock himself in his house with a whiskey.

Bellum finished up his route quickly, scribbling down the new notes. He dashed back home, intending to drop it off before meeting up with Zelda, and nearly cursed out loud when he saw her wandering outside his home. "For Hylia's sake, Zelda, give me some damn space. You've been practically glued to me for the past month. Why are you even doing this?"

Zelda had looked like she was going to speak but shut her mouth. With a shrug, she eventually said, "Sorry, but right now I need help on this. I also want to go over some recent stuff. Is it ok if I come in with you?"

Bellum sighed. She was in front of his house, right at the path to the door. He doubted she'd actually been there before, as she said nothing about the fact that his house was circled by a hedge maze. Begrudgingly, he sauntered down the path and shoved open the door, letting her in. His mansion was one of the largest homes in the city, obviously, but was only two stories. He knew that Zelda's home was about four stories, but the floors were small. Bellum strode into his house and tossed the clipboard onto a small table with some flowers.

Zelda stared around. "Uh... I wasn't expecting it to be so..." She hesitated. "...Purple." Bellum snorted. She wasn't wrong. The walls were a pale purple, with some darker colors as the ceiling and the carpet and tile at a white.

He walked out into the hall and to the right, passing a few doors on the right. "Let's talk in the kitchen. You'll leave when we're done." She nodded, following him into the sleek kitchen.

Zelda personally had to think that Bellum's home was one of the cleanest she'd ever seen. Even the kitchen was spotless. She peered around and sat at the table in the middle of the room. "Your house looks nice. You clean often?"

Bellum shrugged. "Honestly? I'm just a clean person. And I usually only come home to sleep or eat. Want a drink? What did you want to talk to me about? Out with it already." He pulled out two glasses from the cupboard and glanced back at her.

Zelda crossed her arms on the table. "I'm fine, I don't want a drink. I've been tipped off about another orphan group helping out some smugglers. They're moving some crates to the factory, apparently to help some people trying to sneak out some unrefined ore. I can't do anything about it, but I'm hoping that you can assign a phantom group to it, or even check it out yourself." She watched Bellum pour himself a glass of whiskey, clearly mulling it over. "Uh. It's Byrne's group. Considering some stunts he's pulled in the past, it's probably a legitimate tip."

Bellum nodded and took a quick sip of his drink. "Right. I'll consider it. Well, actually, I might go for it. It's been kinda boring without anything to properly crack down on. I'll check it out with a group. You said they'll show up at the factory, right? When?"

"Sounded like maybe tomorrow, late tomorrow." Zelda sat back, glancing around for a moment. "That's if they get a wagon. They're around the supposed 'Orphan Market', in the northwest. Just keep a patrol around and listen closely."

Bellum nodded and downed his drink quickly. "Alright. And you said you wanted to go over things? You can do that while I sort my notes. C'mon, I have too much stuff to catch up on." He started to leave the room, Zelda getting off her chair to follow him.

Bellum's office was directly across from the kitchen, and was a dim room, even with the three lamps on. The large desk was covered in papers and files. A smaller table was off to the side, a number of picture frames turned face-down. Zelda stared at them for a moment, before Bellum said, "What did you come here to say. Hurry up and say it."

Zelda nodded. "Right, sorry. I already know we're doing this, but we should keep a close eye on orphan groups. They sometimes tend to get bold and desperate in the winter. I really hope we could be able to gather the right kind of support to help them at some point. But, are there any orphans we should keep an eye on aside from the big groups?"

"Link and Linebeck are notable at the moment," Bellum said, tossing some papers aside. "Other than that, no one's caught our attention, weirdly enough. Anything else?"

"Ganondorf has not responded to any of my letters. Perhaps you could try and communicate?"

"I'll try."

Zelda nodded idly, then murmured, "Well, I guess that's all. Mind if I ask a quick, unrelated question?"

"Whatever. Be quick about it."

She pursed her lips, then asked, "What's with all these pictures?" Bellum whipped around, his face pale. Zelda tapped the overturned frames. "Why are they like this?"

Bellum approached the table briskly and pushed Zelda's hand away. "They're not important. Family photos."

Ignoring him, Zelda bent down and tipped one of the pictures up, getting a small glimpse. Bellum slammed the picture down, almost trapping Zelda's fingers under it. "They're not important."

"That looked like a picture of you with an infant-"

"My parents," Bellum snapped. "I have pictures of my parents like a normal goddamn person."

"I wasn't aware that you had parents, being a demon. Didn't think that was how demons like you came into-"

"You're being nosy," he growled. "Don't have to be biological, right? It's a sensitive subject." Zelda backed away slightly, recognizing the strained tone of voice and Bellum's stiff, jerking movements. He was pissed. "Leave, already. I didn't want you here in the first place, now do me a favor and piss off."

Zelda gritted her teeth but turned and stalked away. Bellum watched her leave, then sighed. Finally. He turned back to his desk and started sorting the papers into files and drawers.

* * *

Link fell asleep. Providing from the limited view he could get of the sky, Linebeck assumed it was the middle of the night, now. He'd spent the past few hours worrying and stressing about what would happen to them. He was lucky that neither of them was claustrophobic. Link's complaining halted quickly, and he, more optimistically, said that they could try and escape if the gang stopped for food or anything.

That event had not yet occurred. Linebeck himself was grateful that the other orphans were unaware of them. His own idea was to escape when they were preoccupied with getting paid.

He relaxed slightly, watching Link sleep. He was huddled up in the opposite corner. Linebeck rubbed the back of his neck. He was slightly sore, but at least he didn't have to bend over too much. The crate was big enough to allow that. It was probably the largest box of the group that had been taken. He could try and sleep himself, but he'd been trying for the past hour. That was a problem. The warmth was appreciated, though.

Sighing, Linebeck cautiously pulled the knife from the messenger bag. They'd stashed it in the unoccupied corner. He leaned over and stabbed a new hole near Link, careful not to wake him up. He wanted to be able to better see where they were, and where the other urchins were on the wagon.

The new hole let him see out at Byrne, who was sitting on the left side of the wagon. He looked to be asleep. Linebeck sat back. They could try and escape now, but Link was asleep, and he couldn't be sure about the rest of the gang. His paranoia refused to let him poke another hole, out of the fear that they were awake and see the knife blade.

Goddesses, it was dark. He could always pull out the lighter, but the crate was wood. He could see Link's outline, and the holes let in a miniscule amount of light. He'd hidden in crates before, but not for so long and not in such dire situations. He let out a shuddering breath. Linebeck relaxed and remained as still as he could until morning. Light slowly, slowly seeped into the crate, until Link yawned, rubbing his eyes. "G'morning."

"Shh. Are you hungry?" Linebeck whispered. He started looking through their bag, and a small item fell from his coat. "Aw, shit-" He started to reach for it, but Link got ahold of the small box first. "Give it back."

Link shook his head. "It looks like a tiny... camera! It's got a little lens and button! ...Is it a camera?"

"Yeah. Give it." Linebeck held out his hand, and Link hesitantly handed it back. "I use it sometimes to get pictures of things. I connect it to the other camera to develop the pictures." He stuffed it back into his coat pocket, one of the smaller ones close to his chest. "We've got two more eggs. Want one?" Link nodded eagerly, cupping it in his hands and taking a bite out of it.

There was muffled talking just outside, and the light filtering in through the two holes was blocked occasionally. The wagon started to move. It had stopped for a few hours, but the gang of orphans slept with the wagon, and one of them kept watch. Link glanced over his shoulder for a moment, observing the hole next to his head. "You made another one?"

"Yeah. We should be able to see out more than one direction, just in case. Did you sleep well?"

Link nodded. "Yeah, though it was kinda uncomfortable. I don't like being cramped up in here."

"I think you mean 'cooped up'. But, yeah, uncomfortable. We're lucky we have some wiggle space. Finish up your egg quickly, but I guess you can take your time. Actually, you should. We've got nothing to do in here. We could read, but we've both read this book before. Not that I'm against re-reading."

Link had nothing to say. He wolfed down his egg without any restraint, and once finished, announced a bit louder than Linebeck would've been comfortable with, "I'm really hungry." Linebeck scrambled forward and shushed Link angrily, hearing shuffling outside the crate. "S-sorry!" Link hastily whispered.

Byrne was the only kid Link could see, and he peered around. "Did you guys hear something?"

Link's eyes widened, and Linebeck covered both of their mouths with his hands, pressing him against the corner between both holes. Link wouldn't be seen... Linebeck removed his hand and motioned for Link to cover his mouth to muffled any sounds. "I didn't hear anything, Byrne. You just must be hungry. We haven't eaten in a while, anyways."

The gang all agreed, and the subject was dropped. Linebeck sighed, and Link let his hand fall. "Yeah, yeah, you're hungry," Linebeck whispered. "But we can't waste our food. Can you wait for a few hours? You've been able to live off less without complaints." Link nodded but looked unhappy. Whatever. They were stuck in a crate, most likely headed to the factory. Linebeck pulled out the map of the city.

"What are you doing?" Link asked, crawling a bit closer so he could get a good look in the gloom. "What do you need the map for? We're stuck in this crate; we can't go anywhere we want right now."

Linebeck peered sidelong out of one of the holes, and said, "I want to get an idea of where we are. I'll be able to estimate how long we've got, then, if they're heading to the factory." He shifted and sat so that his eye was inches from the hole. "I'm trying to see if I can find anything that I'll be able to recognize on the map. Like, a shop, a landmark, even a notable alleyway that I've been to. Give me about a minute." He let his finger hover over the paper while he waited for them to pass something notable.

Nameless or irrelevant shops or inns, a few stands, people walking in the streets. The street was long, though, so that helped him out a bit. It seemed to go on for miles. One of the main streets, then. There were around twelve of those, and four of them were in the direction of the factory. They passed a few more shops, and a large square. He knew where they were, now. He backed up from the hole, Link shifting out of his way. "I know where we are now," Linebeck murmured, tapping the square on the map. They were a few miles from the factory, then, providing they were actually going there.

Link smiled. "Well, that's good. They're going to the factory?"

"I was listening to them last night. They're helping smugglers get raw ore and they get paid for helping. They were probably told you get some crates for them. We could escape when in the factory. We'd have to be fast." He glanced up at Link with a lopsided smile. "But you've proven to be a fast runner."

Link nodded. "You're fast, too. And we're sneaky. If we stick together, we'll be fine!" His voice went a bit louder at the end, and he caught himself, clapping his hands over his mouth and looking around warily.

Linebeck chuckled, tracing the likely path. "You're fine. It's getting a bit louder since this tends to be a busy street. They'll probably stop at the factory around late afternoon, unless they stop for a bit." He folded the map back up, placing it in their bag. "We've got a few hours, but you're right. It's better if you're not alone. I'll admit, it's nice that I've got you with me." He pressed the bag against the corner again, making more room.

"I like being with you, too. Better than being alone. I don't like this crate, though. Not much space, and we might be found soon."

"We won't be found if we stay quiet like we are. Byrne's group is known for helping smugglers and such, not necessarily for hurting other orphans."

Shifting slightly, Link asked, "So, uh, how many other places are orphan-friendly? I remember that pancake place, but I don't think we've seen too many other places like that." He reached up and pulled his beanie off, turning it over in his small hands.

"Well, Orca and Sturgeon's pancake place if orphan-friendly because they grew up on the streets as well. It's not rare for places run by people who used to be on the streets to be orphan-friendly. There are a few places run by people who had homes that sympathize with orphans, like the library. I know a few shops and restaurants, even an inn or two." Linebeck peered in their bag, then handed Link his little plush dog. "Here, I want you to give that back when the wagon stops, just in case they're at the factory. The bigger hole peeks out at the street, and the other is at Byrne, so it'll be hard to see if we're at the factory or not. You might lose that if we reach the factory."

Link looked down at Rainbakku, who he had clutched tight to his chest. He was looking at it as if he expected it to disappear from his arms at any moment. "What are the chances I'll be able to keep this for our entire time on the streets?"

"Dunno. Depends on how careful you are." Lienebck sat back, wincing as the wagon rolled over a pothole. The crate slid slightly. "I've had this tiny camera for almost the whole time. I held on to the knife for a pretty long time, I only lost it because Tetra's little ragtag group stole it." He glanced around for a moment. "Well, we have nothing to do but wait."

Link settled into a corner with Rainbakku, his gaze flitting between the two holes. His foot scooted forward a fraction of an inch, touched Linebeck's. The older kid jerked his foot away. "Don't. It's cramped enough in here."

"Sorry," Link muttered. He hugged the stuffed animal tighter, glancing away from Linebeck. "Didn't mean to."

"It's fine. It's just more uncomfortable when we're pushed right up against each other." Linebeck shifted and dug through the bag, pulling out the water canteen. "Drink some water. Leave some for me. You haven't had any in a while." He handed it to Link, who pulled the lid off and took a few sips.

"It's kinda warm," Link whined, but handed it back to Linebeck. "But it's fine. Why's it warmer in here than outside? It's still snowing, right?"

"Yeah," Linebeck said between sips, "It's snowing. But we're so close to each other, we're practically sharing body heat, and it's harder for the cold air to get in. I think. My guess. It's probably the right guess, though." He put the lid back on the water, only a little left. It was returned to the bag, and Link leaned against the side of the crate, trying to get comfortable without bothering Linebeck.

He seemed to dip in and out of consciousness. He had his eyes closed, and seemed to be on the verge of dreaming, but was still aware of each bump and rattle, and could hear Linebeck's quiet breathing over the muffled talking of the outside orphans. Time seemed to pass faster, that or Link really did fall asleep. After a few hours, Linebeck woke him, saying, "Hey, open your eyes. Get a bit of food. We've got some dried meat, remember? Have a bit."

Link nodded with bleary eyes and accepted a small strip of the meat. It was chewy and had a nearly unpleasant sweetness to it, but Link swallowed it quickly. Linebeck ate in silence across from him, and sealed its container once done. "Well, then, I'd say we've got a few more hours. I'm about to die of boredom, and it feels like my spine is going to be forever bent like this. Wanna talk about anything?"

Link shrugged, biting down on his second strip of meat. "Dunno. Uh... when you're cursing, I've noticed that you've mentioned goddesses, and in other conversations, someone named Hylia. I know that has to do with the three goddesses, but I don't actually know much about though"

"Ok. The three goddesses created the world, and I can't recall Hylia's role off the top of my head. Din, Farore, and Nayru are the names. I don't actually know it very well, since you really only learn about it from storytellers, some books, or other ways. I'm not the person to ask, kid." He watched Link finish his food. "I can teach you a game if you want."

Link perked up almost instantly. "A game?! Sure!" He remained quiet, but Linebeck was still worried that they'd be heard. "Teach me! Teach me! Please?" He leaned forward, now excited. Linebeck tilted his head to the side, now contemplating whether bringing this up was a good idea or not.

"Ok, ok," Linebeck said, holding his hands out. "It's an old game, but lots of people still play it to pass time. It's called 'rock, paper, scissors'. Boring and uncreative name, but whatever. Hold out one hand with palm up and put your other fist on it." Linebeck demonstrated, and Link copied him, eyes bright. "So, there are three things you can do. This is rock," he said, holding up his fist. "Paper is a flat hand, and scissors is, uh, when you hold out these two fingers." Linebeck showed him the three again, until Link copied him, nodding. "So, basically, rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats rock. Simple game. Wanna try?"

Link nodded. "Sure. I think I saw some kids playing this in the library! Don't we, like, count down and choose one? I've never played."

"M-hm!" Linebeck nodded. "You're catching on. Let's play a round."

They counted down, and each showed their chosen item. Link frowned. He had chosen rock, and Linebeck had paper. The older kid smiled and place his hand over Link's and withdrew. "I win. You don't need to do those kinds of actions, like when I put my hand over yours, but it's kinda fun." Link pouted but was determined to win the next round.

They started again, Link choosing paper, but lost to Linebeck choosing scissors. "Dang it," Link muttered. "How are you so good at this?"

"I'm not good, you just suck," Linebeck responded with an air of disdain. Link glared at him, and Linebeck shook his head. "Kidding. I'm not good, you can't really be 'good' at this game. It's luck-based. Don't know what your opponent is going to choose until they choose. But you can take note of a person's usual patterns or could tell by a look in their eyes. Wanna play a few more rounds?"

Link frowned but agreed. It was better than nothing. They played a few more rounds, and Link found himself enjoying it even more with each game, becoming more animated whenever he won. Linebeck didn't seemed to be either enjoying or hating it, retaining a neutral expression. They must've been playing for an hour. Linebeck shook his hand for a moment and rubbed his wrist. "Damn. We've been playing for way to long. Let's take a break."

Link nodded and shifted backwards. "That was fun. Thanks for teaching me that game/ How'd you learn about it?"

"That kid I met early on the streets taught me- the kid who's grave we visited. They taught me early on. We played it often."

"Oh. What exactly did they help you with?"

"They showed me good places around the city, told me about gangs and Bellum's phantoms, and how to hide properly, and how to deal with wintertime. Like I said when at their grave, I owe them a lot."

With a not, Link mumbled, "How did you guys meet?"

"Again, early on. I ran into them, quite literally when it was storming. They noticed I was new, and decided to help me out, voicing that they preferred not to be alone. They showed me the ropes, but we never ended up as close as you and I are. They were formerly part of another gang, so I found it hard to trust them at first. They trusted me right off the bat, though, but seemed to understand that we wouldn't be working together for too long. We only knew each other for a few months before they caught the sickness and died. I... don't know who buried them. Orphan's usually aren't given graves, mostly since no one knows their name. Their grave used to have their name on it, though. Someone seemed to figure it out. I appreciated it, though."

Link nodded. "I was going to say it was similar to us, but we're more like brothers, while I guess you two were... just friends. I dunno. Not like brothers." Linebeck nodded but didn't say a word in response. "Sorry if that's a sensitive subject for you."

"Nah, it's fine."

"What was their name?"

"Uh... they used a nickname. I never knew their real name. Actually... now that I think about it, I think I heard a few kids call them 'Morgan'. Dunno. They used the nickname of just 'M' so it makes sense."

"You called them 'M'? That's a weird nickname."

Linebeck laughed quietly. "Well, lots of orphans out here might use nicknames that are just one letter." He sat back, glancing through the holes in the crate. "We've got, like, an hour, maybe a tad bit more."

Rainbakku was in the corner of the crate. Link picked him up and hugged him to his chest. "Ok, then. You can lead the way on getting out. I trust you."

Linebeck smiled weakly. In the back of his mind, peering out of the hole, he wondered if the urchin gang had really heard them, but refused to act on it. Hopefully not. Through the hole, Linebeck could see that Byrne had moved from his spot, replaced by another of his cronies. He was most likely still on the wagon. Linebeck wondered just how much they were paying the wagon owner to cart them all the way to the factory. Probably a lot.

He sighed, glancing back at Link. The boy was back to being curled up with Rainbakku. His foot was brushed against Linebeck's but they were so close that it was just about unavoidable. Damn, hiding in the crate had been a bad idea from the start.


	23. Chapter 23

The crates were violently jostled as the wagon rattled down a rocky street filled with potholes. Rain pounded down on the top of the crates, and Linebeck cursed under his breath as it dripped through the small, small cracks. Link whined quietly but didn't move as raindrops slipped onto his beanie. It had started raining only minutes ago, and they were now much closer to the factory. Linebeck recognized the old street that led directly to the factory's gates.

He'd only seen the factory up close once. It looked like a large, metal warehouse with a few smokestacks, but they rarely smoked. When they did, it was when copious amounts of metal and equipment were being created or refined. There were a few buildings to the sides of it, for storing new materials, and others for stuff that had yet to be traded between cities. Between each building and the walls was long, untrimmed grass and bushes, poking through the snow. Despite it being an industrial spot, it was also the home to many animals that no one bothered.

Not too many people worked at the factory since it didn't require much watching, but they were paid well for working there, getting metals ready to be refined and storing created items. Linebeck himself had never been inside, but he'd seen maps. It was two stories, the bottom for creating items, the top for gathering and refining the metals.

Linebeck shifted the way he was sitting, getting into a crouching position on his feet. "Hey, Link, we're going to have to get out in a few minutes. Or... at some point. It's kinda late right about now."

Link yawned, nodding. "Here," he said, handing Linebeck Rainbakku. Linebeck took the little plushie and gently stuffed it in the messenger bag and went to work on trying to get it on. He twisted a bit, having difficulty with the limited amount of space he was given in the cramped crate. Link cringed away, but smiled weakly at Linebeck, painfully contorting himself in order to get the strap over his head.

Linebeck looked up at Link. "I don't like that look on your face. Doesn't hurt to have a bit of fun, though. Just try and be quiet." They sat in silence for a bit, Link huddling closer to Linebeck. There was talking and shuffling. Byrne's group was thanking the wagon driver, and the wagon stopped soon after. More talking and shuffling, and Linebeck listened closely as Byrne started ordering the others around.

"...Ok, so get the smaller crates first. I'll need the most of you with the bigger crate, though. We can't open them, or we'll lose pay. They want to check them themselves."

Crates besides Linebeck and Link's hiding spots were dragged away. Linebeck watched them be carried into the open factory doors, to be given to whoever was paying them. The minutes dragged by with the boxes, and then a small group hefted up the crate the two orphans were huddling in. Linebeck braced himself not to move too much, not to alert the older orphans, and Link wrapped his arms around Linebeck to hold himself steady. Linebeck reached out and pressed his hands against the sides of the crates, further keeping himself unmoving.

They were slowly moved, and Linebeck watched their surroundings turn from an overgrown field, to the gray inside of the factory. He saw machines and more crates, conveyor belts and tables. But the gang continued, moving towards the stairs across the building. Halfway through the room, the kids stopped, supposedly taking a break. Linebeck couldn't help but enjoy the fact that they were inconveniencing both this gang and the smugglers, even a little bit. Link was hugging him so tightly that it felt like he was bending his ribcage inward, but it didn't bother Linebeck.

Their crate was picked back up and hoisted back towards the stairs. There was muffled talking, mostly whispering, arguing. Link held his breath, and Linebeck didn't dare to move even his head. Link gasped for air for a moment, and Linebeck whispered, "Don't hold your breath, your breathing is already quiet." Link nodded, shifting slightly.

They were heading up the stairs, the kids outside staggering from the weight. Now, Linebeck was hoping that no one dropped the crate. That would probably injure them, all of them. Plus, Link and Linebeck would be caught if that happened. They were going up the stairs for about two minutes, the kids careful so they didn't drop the crate. Linebeck assumed they were paid by the crate.

After a few minutes, the crate was dropped, the two orphans inside falling over each other with muffled grunts. Footsteps led away, and Linebeck stabbed a third hole, watching the orphan gang assemble across the room in front of a trio of adults in dark clothing. The people that wanted the crates. "You brought the crates," one of them said. A woman.

Byrne nodded. "And we didn't look in them, as you said. But the biggest crate seems to have something in it. We didn't open it, obviously." Linebeck pulled out the knife, started to form a plan on how to get out. They couldn't go through the top, they'd get caught. He started to cut into the side, Link getting the idea and backing up. The people outside continued talking. They seemed to be discussing pay.

"We'll give you ten per crate. Size won't affect it. How many did you gather?"

"I'd say about seven, maybe eight. I haven't checked."

Linebeck dragged the knife painstakingly slowly through the wood. After a bit, he pulled the knife away. Maybe they could sneak out through the top when they weren't looking. He'd taught Link to sneak well enough; they should be able to escape before they notice the stowaways. He shifted to the other side, practically shoving Link out of the way in order to make the peephole bigger. He needed to be sure of when they were looking away.

After a minute of watching them talk more, Linebeck sighed. "Link, you keep an eye on them. Tell me if they look away. Also tell me if they're coming this way. I'll leave first and help you out in the case of either. Ok?"

"Ok," Link softly said, and sat close to the hole, peering dutifully though. "I'll keep an eye out for you."

Linebeck nodded and sat with his hands on the top of the crate, then froze. The belts. He'd forgotten about them. The crate was kept closed by a pair of belts around it, forcing the lid closed. He'd need to cut through those, first. He pulled the knife back out and stabbed it through the lid. It took a bit of force, but not too much. He pressed his feet against the other side of the crate to aid him in dragging the knife through the wood.

He managed to get though a few inches and pulled the knife back down. There was a chance that the blade could come off. Linebeck tapped it nervously, noting the lack of a wiggle. Link was still unmoving at the hole, listening and watching the group. They still seemed to be talking about payment and the quality of the crates. He went back to hacking through the top of the crate, snapping the first belt. "What're they doing?" he asked Link, glancing down at him.

Link shrugged. "Still talking. What're you doing?"

"Cutting through the belts. If I don't do that, then we can't open the lid."

"Oh. That's a good idea. I'll tell you if anything changes, ok?"

"Ok." Linebeck cut through a bit more, feeling like his arms were burning from the force it took to slice through the wood.

"Th-they're turning around! They said something about gathering ore... Can we leave now?" Link turned back to Linebeck, looking hopeful.

"Gimme a sec..." Linebeck tugged the knife a bit more and snapped the second belt. "Ok! Let's get out. You go first." He shoved the lid open and gestured for Link to get out. The boy clambered out, and Linebeck helped him over the side of the crate, where he fell into a heap. Linebeck got out after him, looking around the large factory and stretching. Damn, it felt good to actually stand up. They were in the front of the clumped together crates. Linebeck shoved Link down behind the other crates and slammed closed the one they got out of.

The gang and the smugglers were across the room, standing over a conveyor belt. Not facing the orphans. Linebeck took Link's hand. "Try and be quiet. We'll need to go slow, since our footsteps might be loud on the metal floor. C'mon..." He gently tugged Link behind him, keeping low. "Keep close, ok?" Link nodded, following him quietly.

They snuck across the floor, Linebeck anxious about the lack of hiding spots. The gang and adults were faced away, but Linebeck tugged Link though the room, too worried that they'd be caught. They were still talking, but the adults started to turn around. Linebeck got up, pulling Link with him, getting to a run. They were nearly to the stairs down when one of Byrne's gang members shouted, "HEY! Who are you?!" They started to sprint after the two urchins, who dashed down the stairs. Link almost tripped over a few of the steps while trying to keep up with Linebeck.

They stumbled off the stairs, Link feeling as through his arm was going to be yanked from its socket. Both the gang and the smugglers were chasing after them, now. Linebeck was practically dragging him across the room, then let go of his hand. Before Link could try and get ahold of Linebeck's hand again, he shouted back, "Don't hold on, but keep up! It'll be harder if you keep holding on!"

Link nodded, starting to pant. They almost ran into a table, Linebeck vaulting over it while Link ran around. He pushed over a stack of boxes as they passed it in order to slow their pursuers. Linebeck glanced over his shoulder. The orphans were much more reckless than the adults, following their paths of vaulting over the table, jumped over the boxes, shouting angrily at them. The adults were hanging back but were looking around. They knew the layout of the factory. They could cut Link and Linebeck off and any moment.

Linebeck took a sharp right, making sure that Link was following. They were sprinting between some conveyor belts, done with the lines of tables. It was dim in the factory, but the large windows allowed them to see well enough. Linebeck frantically peered around, looking for the exit. Damn this factory for being so weirdly designed. There it was, the doors across the factory room. Damn, that was far. But, the both of them were fueled by adrenaline, and Link had shown that he could keep up with Linebeck in terms of stamina. Speed, not so much.

The orphan gang was gaining on them, and fast. The smugglers were out of sight. Linebeck clambered to the side, over one of the conveyor belts. Link followed quickly, panting. "Hey, keep up! We can't be caught."

Link nodded, then gasped, "T-they're gaining on us! I-I don't think we'll m-make it!" Linebeck gritted his teeth. The kid was right, they would be overtaken any minute now. Without warning, he pulled Link to the side, the two of them huddled beside one of the conveyor belts. "W-wait, what are y-you...?!"

Linebeck quickly fumbled for the knives, handing Link his. "W-we might have to fight. We'll run, but we might have to fight." Link nodded, wiping sweat off his hands, almost falling again as Linebeck pulled him to his feet. "We need to keep going-" One of the orphans chasing them grabbed ahold of Linebeck arm, trying to pull him back. Link's eyes widened, but Linebeck shoved him, intending for him to run.

He started to back away, keeping an eye on Linebeck. The older kid struggled against one or Byrne's allies, and ended up stabbing him in the forearm. The kid screamed, letting go, and Linebeck dashed past Link, pulling him along. "Don't wait for me! You're just gonna get hurt!"

They dashed down to the door, and the smugglers sprinted at them from the side. They'd taken a shortcut. Linebeck bit back a nasty curse and stumbled to a stop, Link following his lead and holding up his knife. The smugglers cut off their exit, and the gang was coming up from behind. Both sides were open, but there were tables with crates covering the tops. It'd be too difficult to go through that, but...

Linebeck shuffled to the side, nudging Link. The smugglers in front of them were undoubtedly pissed. "Well, what do we have here?" one of them snarled. "A pair of nasty little stowaways. What, are you trying to get in on this deal? Steal some ore for yourself? Well, you're not getting anything out of this."

Linebeck's hands were shaking so badly was he was worried that they'd cramp up. Link, on the other hand, kept his knife still, staring at the adults in front of them. The gang behind them didn't seem to be moving. They were probably only there to cut off an escape route. Linebeck shuffled more to the side. There was enough of a gap int he boxes on that table, but he couldn't spare a glance to the side. The smugglers inched closer to them, and there were small scraping noises behind them. Damn it.

The factory doors were pushed open. The three smugglers whipped around, and Link and Linebeck dashed past them. Link managed to make it past, but one of the smugglers shouted out and grabbed Linebeck's arm. He dropped the knife and kicked it towards Link. Cursing furiously, Linebeck tried to wriggle out, but the smuggler tugged him back, and a second grabbed ahold as well, dragging him back. Linebeck gritted his teeth, trying to get away, and the smugglers suddenly let go of him, but not without trying to jerk him back. There was a sickening pop, and Linebeck fell to the ground screaming and writhing in pain.

He didn't see Byrne's gang fleeing quickly, but, through the tears in his eyes, he saw two of the smugglers trying to get away, the third with someone grabbing a handful of his shirt. The other two hung back, seemingly frozen to the spot. Something dim and translucent was wrapped around their arms. Linebeck writhed again, biting back a scream and whimpering, rolling onto his back and grabbing his right shoulder. It felt like it was on fire, with needles stabbing into the joint. Link dashed over, hovering over him and saying something.

The pain only intensified, and he squeezed his eyes shut, tears streaming down his face. He felt Link touch his shoulder but yelped and flinched away. Pure agony was assaulting his shoulder, erasing any rational thought that didn't have to do with getting rid of the goddamn pain. Link ended up taking his other arm, laying across his shoulders and trying to get Linebeck to his feet. It took a few moments, but he got up, leaning heavily on Link and occasionally flinching from a stab of pain, whimpering and unsuccessfully choking back sobs.

He cracked open an eye, getting a blurry image of two of the smugglers on the floor, looking knocked out while a man was interrogating the other. The smuggler was shaking and trying to wriggle away, but the man had a tight grip on his shirt. Link said something to Linebeck, but he only coughed and whined from the pain.

Finally, the man turned towards the two orphans, and Linebeck recognized him as Bellum. He approached them slowly, the smuggler he had been talking to looking shell-shocked. Link stumbled back a bit, but Linebeck held his ground, looking up at Bellum. He knew he had tears streaming down his face, and looked a wreck, but he wasn't going to wince away. "What are you two doing here together?"

"W-we're brothers!" Linebeck blurted out. "W-we s-saw t-th-them... the g-gang... t-talking a-and tried to h-hide in..." He retched, and Bellum turned towards Link. Either Linebeck's blurry vision was making him see things funny, or Bellum was shaking. Link started to explain what they were doing there, Bellum remaining emotionless during the explanation. Linebeck tuned back into the conversation when Link said something to him. "W-whu..."

"Wh-what happened? You're hurt... what..."

"S-shoulder..."

"He dislocated his shoulder," Bellum murmured. "I can help him out, if you want."

Link looked up at Linebeck. "He said he'll-"

"I h-heard him..." Linebeck muttered through gritted teeth. "Help me lay down."

"But-"

"We're not getting a-anywhere while I-I have a goddamn d-dislocat-ted shoulder!"

He backed up, and Link helped him lay down. Bellum knelt at his side, and muttered, "This is gonna hurt like hell for a second." He took ahold of Linebeck's dislocated arm and carefully laid it out at an angle. He held his forearm and wrist, slowly pulling it away. Linebeck groan, gritted his teeth, and let out a sharp scream as there was a small _click_. Bellum let got and stood back up, watching Linebeck sit up, and Link watch him nervously at his side. "Don't move your shoulder much. You'll need a sling. It'll take a few days to fully recover. Losing use of your right arm shouldn't be much of a problem for you, though." He turned and started to drag the three smugglers together.

"Why'd you help us?" Link asked while Linebeck rubbed his stinging shoulder. "I thought you hate the city orphans. Bothering with us gets in the way of your work, right?"

"I won't have to deal with as much shit if you two aren't involved. The group that's about a mile behind me might think you two were kidnapped, and if one of you has a dislocated shoulder, it'll be a bit harder to leave quickly. Scram." Bellum turned away from them.

Link looked back at Linebeck. "Are you ok? I took the knives before he saw them."

"I'll be fine," Linebeck muttered, standing up with Link. "Let's get out of here."

"R-right!"

They left the factory quickly, trudging out into the pouring rain. Link soon realized that he needed to walk slower, noticing Linebeck's crawling pace as he dragged his feet through the snow. "I don't want to make my arm worse," he explained when Link asked him about it. "Until we can get a sling, I should try and move slowly."

Link blinked. "A sling? What's that?" He slowed his walk so he was side-by-side with Linebeck as they reentered the alleyways.

"Like a strip of cloth that you tie around your neck and an injured arm to help the arm recover."

Nodding, Link crossed his arms, staring at Linebeck while he thought. They passed a few shelters, and Linebeck finally asked, "What? Why are you staring at me?"

Link stopped, and Linebeck did the same. Link reached up and unraveled Linebeck's scarf from around his neck, and said, "You can use this as a sling. Right?" Linebeck stared blankly at it. "...Right?"

"Oh! Uh, yeah. You'll have to do it, since I can't. Hang on..." He bent his hurt arm at his elbow, and said, "Uh, get the middle of the scarf under my arm, and tie the ends around my neck." Link nodded and wrapped the scarf around Linebeck's forearm to shave off a bit of the excess length. He had to stand on his toes to be able to see the knot he was tying at the nape of Linebeck's neck.

"I think I did it," Link said, pushing his wet hair out of his face. The rainstorm had turned to a thunderstorm. They hadn't seen any flashes of lightning yet, though. "Will you be ok?"

"Yeah," Linebeck mumbled. "Let's keep going." He walked past Link, who followed suit quickly after. "We should find a place to sleep soon. Preferably somewhere dry." He scratched the back of his head with his left hand, glancing down at Link.

Link smiled up at him but looked nervous. "Will you be ok? You're right-handed. I dunno what Bellum meant when he said that you'd be fine without use of your arm..."

"I'm ambidextrous," Linebeck said. "I can use both hands equally. It's kinda rare, so I'm proud of it. You're left-handed, right? I've seen you use your left hand a lot."

Frowning, Link responded, "Yeah, I'm left-handed, but how did Bellum know that you're ambidextrous?"

"They have files on notable orphans. I'm clearly one of them, and so are you. They probably list the kid's dominant hand, for future reference and recognition." Linebeck peered around and took a left into a wider alleyway. "I'm not going to pull the map out since it'll get ruined in this rain, and it'll be hard to hold it with one hand, but I think I recognize this place."

"Is there somewhere we can stay around here?"

"Nah, but there's a restaurant around here with only one guy working. It's easy to steal from him while he's working."

"What kind of food?"

"Fish. Fish stuff. It's good. It'll be nice to have something similar to a full meal." Linebeck grinned down at Link. "Have you ever had fish? Any kind of food with fish in it?"

Link shook his head. "I don't think so. It'll be cool to try it. Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's always nice to find some fish scraps, even the nasty kind. I will admit though; it's embarrassing to dig up some moldy fish bits from a trashcan due to pure bias and desire. I throw away the stuff that will certainly make me sick, though." He laughed quietly, then turned his gaze back to the alleyway. "But we should try and find this place. Some guy named, uh, I think his name was Lenzo. Never talked to him, never want to." Unwisely, he reached over and rubbed his shoulder, and winced.

Link peered over at him for a moment, then asked, "Do you think we'll ever run into Zelda? I mean, we've run into Bellum enough times, I'm surprised we've never seen her around the city. Does she have a patrol route like Bellum?"

"Nope. I dunno what she does. She kinda just shows up around the city at random, but sometimes heads out to check out dodgy stuff in the slums. She deals more with that part of the city." He kicked a trashcan that they passed, scaring away a small pack of rats. He cringed away from them, but Link watched them scurry away in the rain.

They stopped at a door in a back alley, and Linebeck had Link hide behind a line of trash cans. "You wait here, I'll go get the stuff. Too dangerous if we go at the same time. Just wait." He patted Link on the head and snuck past the trashcans, and gently pull the door open, slipping in a moment later. Link curled up beside the cans, waiting for Linebeck to return.

With his currently useless arm, Linebeck would probably have a hard time getting what he was going for. Link stood up and stretched. He was happy to be out of the box, and hoped he'd never have to deal with anything like that for the new five to six years on the streets. He was scared that if he fell asleep, he'd end up dreaming that he was stuck in that crate again, only alone and in the dark, but very clearly in danger. Recently, most of his bad dreams had to do with him being separate from Linebeck and unable to find him.

Link sat down, hugging himself. He didn't want to be separated from Linebeck. The situation with the maze was bad enough for the both of them. Now, since they both considered each other as brothers, being forcefully or accidentally separated would cause many problems in many ways.

Link rubbed his nose. It was weird to be back out in the biting cold after being in the cramped warmth of the crate. It was nice to actually move around, though. But... seeing Linebeck in so much agony back at the factory disturbed him. Link had always looked up to Linebeck and had seen him as someone he could trust to always be there to help him when Link was the one hurt. He didn't expect Linebeck to be the one hurt, much less losing use of an arm for some time. He was the one with the idea of how things on the streets worked, and even knew how those who ran the city did their jobs as well as other information on the city. Link relied on him more than anything, and he'd gotten badly hurt.

Link realized that tears were rolling down his cheeks. He quickly wiped them away. It wasn't like he was dead; he was just hurt. But, still. It was jarring. His older brother had gotten injured while escaping. He was fine, though. They both were, just a bit banged up.

He glanced up at the sound of a crash inside the shop. As he got to his feet, though, there was no shouting to be heard. Maybe something in the front of the shop was dropped, and Linebeck was still working on getting stuff.

Perhaps five more minutes passed, and Linebeck carefully exited through the door, carrying two small boxes. He closed the door by leaning on it and settled down next to Link. "I recommend that we get moving before we eat this, but I need some time to rest a little." He handed Link the boxes. "You hold these."

The boxes were warm, and whatever was in them smelled good. Link was tempted to open the lid and peek in, but he didn't want to let the heat out. Linebeck sat for a bit, leaning against Link, then got to his feet. "Right. We'll go now. I think we should take a few turns and stop at a shelter. It's pretty late, and I don't want to be rained on all night." Link nodded, hugging the boxes to his chest and following after Linebeck.

"What'd you get? It smells good."

"Two orders of fish and chips, it looked like," Linebeck responded. "I think you'll like it. It's usually what I take from this place. I almost got caught, but someone dropping a plate caught his attention before he saw me. It took all the time I had to steal the food and stuff it in the boxes and get out of there. How are you? You look a little shaken."

Link went quiet, deep in thought, then said, "I'm just a bit shook up from you getting hurt like that. But I'm fine now." Linebeck nodded but held his gaze on Link for a moment longer before looking away. "Uhm, how do you feel?" Link asked, walking a little faster to keep up with Linebeck's longer strides.

"Fine, but my shoulder hurts to touch and it's sore. I'll give my arm about three more days. I dunno how long I really need, and we're not very close to the library now. Again, we'll stop under a shelter, and get moving in the morning. I don't want to stay in one place for too long." The two of them shared a look and nodded and turned a corner into one of the alley squares. Linebeck stopped in the middle, peering around. "I've always wondered why these were here like this."

Link nodded. "Yeah. They seem kinda weird."

"I guess they were just open space between buildings that was too small to be another building and too big to be an alleyway. It's not like I hate them, anyways. It's kinda nice to have an open spot like this." He walked over to one of the shelters against the walls. "Let's stay here for tonight. C'mon."

The two of them huddled under the shelter, the two sticks supporting the damp blanket like every other shelter. They always looked similar. Link set the boxes down in front of them while Linebeck worked on getting relatively comfortable. "Do you think you'll be able to sleep?" Link asked quietly. "I mean, your arm is still gonna hurt."

"I can sleep while sitting up."

"Ok." Link opened his box, nudging the other closer to Linebeck. The older urchin glanced down at it blankly, then at Link, who said, "Eat it. You got it for us, might as eat it. We don't have much right now, anyways. Yeah, you can go a bit without eating, but it's not good."

Linebeck smiled faintly. "You're starting to sound a bit like me."

"Oh. How do I stop?"

Linebeck laughed hoarsely. "Whatever. Eat your own food. I'll start when I want to. I just need a moment. I haven't had a chance to properly think for a while." He let his head tilt back and press against the wall. Link stared at him for a moment, the turned to his food. It was still warm, a welcome contrast to the cold and snowy alleyways.

Link looked up at Linebeck. "Why is it raining? Shouldn't it be snowing?"

Linebeck looked out at the alleyway. Link was right. There was snow on the ground, but it was raining. "Huh. That's weird. Should be snowing. It's cold enough. Maybe It'll turn to snow in a bit, but it's been hours. Maybe it's a bit warmer right now, and it'll start snowing in the morning." He leaned forward and opened his own box, pushing aside a few of the chips and ripping off a small part of cod. "We'll just have to wait and see."

They ate and deposited the empty boxes in a nearby dumpster. When they woke up the next morning, the rain had stopped: it was snowing. They set back out to wandering, the subject of the odd weather unremarkable and erased from Link's mind, but Linebeck was quiet, curious about the circumstances. Something must've caused that, but it didn't seem to be important to the two of them.


	24. Chapter 24

"How does your arm feel now?" Link asked, helping Linebeck take off the makeshift sling. "I mean, it's been a few days. I hope it feels better."

Linebeck shrugged his shoulder for a moment, testing it. "It's sore. Hurts a little. But it's not awful. What about your knee?" he asked, gesturing the hole in Link's pants, right on his left knee. They'd been running from another harsh orphan gang, and Link had fallen and skinned his knee. But kept going on, his logic being that if Linebeck could keep going after dislocating his shoulder, Link could keep going on with a skinned knee.

"Kid, you're going to get an infection," Linebeck muttered while he checked his arm. Link frowned and bent down to look at his own knee. "We don't need the situation from the library again. Not while we're on the streets." He let his arm swing like a pendulum, watching Link stare at his knee. "We don't have any bandages."

"Oh, that's bad," Link muttered. He touched the bloody cut, and winced. "That hurts."

"Yeah, no shit," Linebeck snapped. "Don't be an idiot. It's a bad idea to touch it, who knows what kinda nasty shit is on your finger? There's a hella lotta bad bacteria out here." He rubbed his shoulder again, then started to wrap the scarf back around his neck. "Don't touch it, just leave it alone. Let's try and head to the middle of the city, now. I never did show you that castle, right?"

Link nodded. "I actually forgot about that! What's the point of the castle? Doesn't Zelda live in her own house, and Bellum has a mansion, and Ganondorf lives... somewhere. Why's the castle here?"

Starting to continue down the alleyway, Linebeck shrugged. "No one really knows. Most people think it's because it was the first building in this city, back when it used to be called Hyrule City."

"What's it called now?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow.

Linebeck let out a humorless laugh. "Honestly, it still might be Hyrule City, no one really mentions it. But castle is still here as a monument. It's also used for meeting when other leaders show up, and I think that it's got some caretakers. You probably didn't see it when we visited the tower, since it's behind some walls, and most people assume it's another part of the city, and not a historical monument. It's cool, but hard to get into, and not worth getting into. There are rumors that new phantoms are trained there. Don't wanna walk into that, eh?" Link smiled weakly up at him but kept glancing down at his knee. "Stop worrying about that," Linebeck muttered. "No point in constantly thinking about it. That'll only make things worse."

Tearing his gaze from his knee, Link nodded. "Right." The two of them sauntered down the alleyway, Linebeck leading the way as usual. Of course, it was freezing cold, the snow dampening their hair and clinging to their shoes. Linebeck pulled his coat tighter around himself while Link pulled his beanie over his ears. "Your ears don't get cold?" Link asked, looking up at Linebeck.

"Oh, yeah, they hurt like hell even though I can barely feel them. I'll suck it up, though. What about you?"

"The hat helps. You don't want a hat?"

Linebeck shook his head, peering into a window they passed. "Nah, I'm good." He stopped walking, peering into the window from a different angle. The curtains were drawn, so it was hard for Linebeck to properly get a view inside. Just looked like a small apartment without a back door out into the alley. There didn't seem to be a point for the lower stories to have windows. The building next to the apartments was much shorter, so it made more sense for the higher apartments.

"What are you doing?" Link asked, coming up next to Linebeck. "You're not going to steal from there, right?"

Linebeck stiffened. "...No. I'm not, if you don't want me to. But we might have ot do that again. I mean, it's pretty shitty out here. Gotta do what it takes, y'know?" He ignored the way that Link glanced away from him and pushed on the glass. "This looks like a two or three-room apartment. Might be something worth taking..."

Link took ahold of his arm and started dragging him away from the window. "No... bad idea. C'mon." Linebeck smiled down at him while Link dragged him away. "I wanna get to the castle. It'll take too long if you keep breaking into places." Linebeck laughed out loud and jerked his arm away. Link giggled slightly, but the two of them went back to walking side-by-side.

"We'll reach the castle tomorrow, if I can properly locate us on the map," Linebeck said, pulling out the map, unfolding it while glancing sideways at Link. "Do you want to look and see if you can find up on this map? We can stop in a bit, to make it easier on you."

Link nodded, and they exited the alleyways, stopping on a bench in a well-lit square. Linebeck handed him the map. "Ok, try and find where we are." Link nodded, and held the map out, squinting at the paper with his jaw set. Linebeck smiled warmly at him and sat back.

Soon after waking up two days ago, they'd set back out into the streets, careful about Linebeck's arm and avoiding any hostile gangs until perhaps an hour ago. They'd spotted Tetra and her little gang the day before and quickly booked it, but Linebeck knew that they had been seen. Really, it was only a matter of time that they were attacked again. He couldn't let Tetra take the knife again. Not again. It was too important to him, and too useful for it to be lost again.

Link was still examining the map, then asked, "Which part of the map are we on? Left, or right?"

"We're on the west side," Linebeck responded, tapping the left side. "We're on this side. On the top bit. See the factory?" he asked, pointing to the little rectangle labeled 'Factory'. "We should be a bit south of this. Keep looking." Link nodded. "Tell me when you find it. It's getting late." The sky was darkening, the snow starting back up. "We might have to sleep on this bench. Are you fine with that?"

"Yeah, sure," Link said, clearly focused on the map. "How are you so good with these? It's impossible to find where we are."

Linebeck shrugged. "Dunno. I've always been good with maps. We're here," he said, placing his finger on a small square with four benches, between the factory and the middle. "I had a map before meeting you but lost it a few months before we met."

With a frustrated groan, Link thrust the map back into Linebeck's hands, crumpling it slightly. "I'll never learn to use this stupid thing. Just take it back."

The map was now crumpled, looking on the verge of tearing apart. The expression on Linebeck's face was a mixture of amusement and concern. "Hey, be careful with that! That took a long time to make!"

"It took you ten minutes on top of the tower; you can make another." Link sat with his arms crossed in a huff while Linebeck frantically folded it back up. He looked up at Link for a moment, unable to hide his smile. "What are you smiling at," Link snapped.

"Nothing," Linebeck murmured, "I just find it funny that my determined little brother had been beaten by a big piece of paper. You're overreacting." Link glared at him but failed to hide his flickering smile. "Anyways, we're going to spend the night on this bench. Shouldn't be a problem, and it might be a bit more comfortable than the shelters, but I don't know. I've never shared a bench with anyone." He pulled his knees to this chest once he was done putting away the map.

Link pulled off his beanie and balled it up. "We're sharing the bench?"

"Well, yeah. We've always shared the shelters, and we'll be warmer." Linebeck shrugged off his coat. "We can use this as a blanket," he murmured, draping it over Link's shoulders. "But you can use it right now, until it gets too dark. Then we'll lay down on the bench for the night."

The next hour passed slowly, and almost no one passed by them. A few adults walked in and out but ignored them aside from a few glances. When it got dark, Link laid down on the bench, facing up. "Can you be against the back? While I'm closer to the edge?" He picked up the coat and showed it to Linebeck, who took it.

"Scoot," Linebeck muttered, and Link laid close to the edge, Linebeck laying down behind him. "Promise you won't fall off in the morning?"

Link giggled quietly. "I promise. That'd hurt, anyways." He turned to Linebeck and hugged him tightly. "You're warm. I feel like we'll have a nicer night. I'm tired of being freezing under the shelters." Linebeck nodded mutely, draping the coat over the two of them. Link shifted and placed the beanie under his head, then slowly asked, "...Do you want the beanie? Like, as a pillow?"

Linebeck shook his head, his feet hanging off the end of the bench. "No, you take it. You need it more than me, and I'm more used to going without it."

Link nodded, shifted closer to him with his head tucked under Linebeck's chin. He mumbled into Linebeck's scarf, "No one is gonna bother us, right?"

"I mean, as long as Tetra's or Byrne's group does track us back down, I think we'll be safe. Most people don't bother orphans while they're sleeping. That's just one of those unspoken rules filed under the category of 'don't be a dick to the orphans', along with not knocking down the shelters." He wrapped his arms around Link. "Try not to move too much, 'cuz that might wake me up, or you might knock yourself off the bench. It's a good idea to not bring any attention to ourselves while sleeping."

The two of them went silent, and Link shifted a bit more, shuffling closer to Linebeck. For the rest of the time he was awake, he didn't hear anything but Linebeck's breathing and birds flying around and landing in the snow. He wasn't sure if Linebeck was awake or not, as he couldn't see his face. But they were momentarily safe. A sweet respite between brothers, related or not. For a moment, Link wondered just how many other orphans had adopted each other as siblings or otherwise. He and Linebeck couldn't be the only ones.

* * *

Linebeck woke Link up in the morning. "Hey, hey, kid, get up. You need to see this. Get up, damn it." Link yawned but nuzzled further into Linebeck's scarf. "Link," Linebeck sharply snapped. "Get up. Someone must've seen us last night."

Link suddenly shot up, frantically staring around. "What do you mean? Did someone steal something?"

Linebeck sighed, sitting up and placing his hands on Link's shoulders. "You missed the first part." He reached beside them, on the bench, and held up a thin blanket. "Someone put this on us last night. Made the night a bit warmer for us. We're going to keep it."

Link smiled at the raggedy blanket. "Wow! That's nice. Was that all? This'll be useful."

Linebeck slid off the bench, back into the snow. He reached under the bench and held up a basket with the top covered. "I saw this, too, but didn't look at it since I wanted to let you sleep a bit longer." He set it on the bench and sat on the other side of it. "I'm thinking that the same person that gave us the blanket gave us this as well."

Link moved to try and pulled the covering off, but Linebeck slapped his hand away. "Ow! What was that for?!"

"I'll open it," Linebeck snapped. "I'm the one with the bag, I'll put whatever's in here inside. But we'll wait. We've got some dried meat left..." He handed Link half of the rest of their food but left the water inside. It didn't take them long, but they were soon out of food, so Linebeck was hoping that that was what was in the basket. He finished quickly while Link ate his more slowly, staring at the basket. "You look creepy, staring at it," Linebeck mumbled. Link blinked and glanced away.

Once Link was done, Linebeck pulled off the thin sheet covering the contents of the basket. He tossed the sheet at Link and pulled a small slip of paper from the basket, slipping it in his pocket. Link clawed the sheet off his face. "What was that for?"

"For fun," Linebeck drawled, "And that the second time you've said that in the past few minutes." He smirked, and the two of them leaned over the basket. It was filled with a number of items, not only food- but Linebeck took out each food item and shoved them in the messenger bag. It wasn't much, just a few small containers of fruit slices and carrots. Looked fresh, at least.

Beaming, Link pulled out a small tube from the basket. "Isn't this more of that healing ointment stuff?"

"Yeah," Linebeck said, snatching it from Link's hands and putting it in the bag. "I'd say we could use it on your knee, but we might need it for worse. I mean, it's made similarly to a potion, and that stuff works miracles." Link pouted a him for a moment, to which Linebeck replied, "What, you want to carry it around? With what pockets?"

"You're being a jerk," Link muttered. He pulled out a small box and showed it to Linebeck. "What do you think is in here?"

"Dunno. Why don't you open it?"

Link nodded and tugged open the lid, then, confused, pulled out four pairs of socks. "What are we gonna use these for?"

"Oh, shit, I need those!" Linebeck took one of the bigger pairs and started to rip his boots off. "Do you need any new socks?" Link shrugged. "Well, you should check. We can use the leftover pairs as makeshift gloves," he suggested, tossing away his old and graying socks and replacing them with the new ones. Link did the same, his old socks practically held together by the strings between holes.

With a newfound excitement, Linebeck took the rest of the socks from Link. "Go ahead, look through the rest. I'll work on the socks." He held them out and stretched them a few times while Link returned to the basket.

"I think we've got pretty much everything aside from these," Link muttered, holding out two small books. "We can keep these, right?" Linebeck barely glanced up from the socks and nodded. He took the books from Link after putting the socks down, shoving them in the bag. "Why do you think we got books?" Link curiously asked.

"It's so we don't get too bored while out here. They're not library books, too, so we can keep them. I'll work on the socks later, let's get moving." Linebeck slid off the bench, followed by Link, and they returned to trudging through the snowy alleyways.

Link jogged ahead Linebeck for a moment, peering into a cardboard box.

"What are you doing?" Linebeck asked, the words coming off more harshly than he initially intended.

"Checking for animals," Link cheerily answered, jogging over to another box. "A few animals might sleep in these, right?"

Linebeck grunted. "Yeah, but I don't think they'd be happy with you peeking in on them. Don't bother with looking." He turned a corner into one of the alleyway squares, dragging Link behind him so the kid didn't lose sight of him. "I'm going to show you the castle, right?"

"Yeah!" Link said. "You are. You said we might get there in a day or two."

"Right. Some animals live around there, and they're more friendly to the people in the city than animals in the alleys. That doesn't mean they're all nice, exhibit 'A' being that cat that bit you in the park. But most of them are nice." He shoved his hands in his coat pockets. "But it'll take us a day or two to get there, correct. I know a good path, though."

Tilting his head to the side, Link asked, "How are you so good with maps and knowing your way around the city? You've only been here for four years..."

With a shrug, Linebeck let out a short laugh. "Four years is all I need. I've had a few maps in the past, all lost in different ways. I've more of a nomad than other orphans, as well, so exploring the city helps me learn it's layout. I'm just generally good with stuff like that. I've got a good memory, as well, if I say so myself. Or that's just me being arrogant. Both, probably." He glanced back at Link. "You're getting a bit better with reading the map, too."

"No, I'm not," Link snapped. "It took me forever to find where we were, and with your help. I'm not good at it."

"Yeah you are. That area you were looking for was tiny, anyone would've had difficulty finding it, and, with minor prodding, you did. C'mon, keep up."

It must've been near midday when the two of them reached the main street. Linebeck was planning to head down the main strip for the rest of the day to cut away some time, and they could duck into the alleyways if things got messy or complicated or dangerous. They were lucky to have not run into any of the gangs, but Linebeck was still paranoid about having recently caught glanced of Tetra's group. They still clearly wanted to take the knife back, even if it wasn't theirs.

Link watched people walk by in the street, the occasional wagon riding by through the snow. There were more people out than normal, but the snow wasn't too deep. Linebeck didn't talk much, only responding to whatever Link said, but that was commonplace. After a few hours of walking, they ended up stopping on a bench for a bit. Link took some of the food they'd gotten from the basket while Linebeck watched people pass.

"You're not going to eat?" Link asked, glancing sideways at him.

"Nah, not hungry," Linebeck muttered. "Don't have an appetite right now. You can eat."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm a bit paranoid," Linebeck said. "I saw Tetra's group a few times a few days ago, but they're probably not following us. I dunno. Just worried." He sat back, kicking at the snow. "Finish up eating and we can get going." He didn't look at Link for the rest of the few minutes but glanced in his general direction.

Finished with his food, Link returned the container to the messenger bag. "We can get going, right?" He smiled up at Linebeck, who shrugged and got to his feet. "Cool! We're gonna keep going down the middle, right?"

"No," Linebeck muttered, pointing at an alleyway across the street. "We'll keep going through the alleyways. It feels safer. It's starting to get windy, too. It might be a bit warmer in there. But you can decide." He ran across, almost tripping on the cobblestone street. Link lingered behind before catching up.

Linebeck rubbed the back of his neck before saying, "Are you worried about anything, kid?" He glanced down at Link with an eyebrow raised. "I've got my worries about Tetra's shitty little group, what about you?"

Pulling his beanie down over his ears, Link nodded. "I'm worried that we'll run into Bellum again. We've had bad luck about that, and I think that if we run into him again, he won't be as nice as last time. He kinda scares me, but at least he doesn't bother us much. I don't like how he hurts kids, though."

Linebeck shrugged. "He should be halfway across the city right now, and it's technically part of his job. Like the murder part included as his side job as executioner. Tetra's group is the problem, since she's hell-bent on stealing my knife again. It's not even her damn knife. It belongs to me, not her-" He paused, and scowled. "I stole it, and that makes it mine. Finders, keepers."

Link frowned. "But, by that logic, if she steals it from you, then it's hers."

Linebeck balked, and snapped, flustered, "N-no! I stole it from Bellum, the original owner! That's different. It's not hers. She's just taking it while I'm asleep, while I stole it from Bellum's home. I got it through more effort." He gritted his teeth. "It's mine."

"Ok," Link softly said. "It just seems... weird."

"Whatever," Linebeck hissed. "Let's just get back to walking around-"

"HEY! YOU TWO!"

"Son of a bitch." Linebeck whipped around, Link doing the same. Sure enough, it was Tetra's group, their young leader having been the one who shouted. "The hell do you want, you damn stalkers? Don't think I haven't seen you guys a few times in the past few days." He crossed his arms over his chest glaring at each of them in turn. They'd certainly broken their friends out that day Link and he had gone in to explore the prison, as they at three more people.

Tetra glared venomously at Linebeck. "I want that knife back."

Linebeck laughed but backed up a step. Link did the same but gritted his teeth. Linebeck tilted his head to the side. "What do you even need it for? It's just a sharp bit of metal. I bet it wouldn't even sell very well, as Bellum would just take it back the moment it shows up in a shop window. You've got your own knives."

Tetra set her jaw. "That's not important anymore."

Linebeck shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "Then what do you want with us if you're over the damn knife? Leave us alone."

Tetra gritted her teeth. "It's about more than the knife now. You've crossed us too many times."

Linebeck paused, then muttered, "You... I stole my knife back from you. That's all I've done. Cool it, princess."

Clenching her fists, Tetra took a step towards Linebeck, who stumbled back. "I don't care. You're a problem in our way, you and that kid."

Backing up a bit more, Linebeck smiled weakly. "Oh, screw you guess. I haven't done anything. There's no point in doing this. It's a bad idea all around. You're just being an irrational, vengeful bitch. Now I see why your sister won't let you return home." He glared at them for a moment, then realized just what a bad idea that had been.

Tetra dashed at him and tackled him but didn't managed to do much due to the difference in height. He was tempted just to push her away until she punched him in the ribs. "Hey, back the hell off, pipsqueak," Linebeck snapped, kicking her away with as much force as he could muster. She fell back into the snow an arm around her stomach, coughing. "Piss off. I'm tired of your guys' bullshit. We both are." He was barely aware of Link backing up behind him.

Linebeck was too focused on glaring at Tetra that he didn't notice Gonzo running at him until the older kid tackled him to the ground. He barely got a moment to gather his bearings before Gonzo sucker punched him in the nose. Link shouted along with parts of Tetra's group as Gonzo socked Linebeck in the jaw while the reedy orphan weakly kicked at his chest. He clawed at Gonzo's shoulders, trying to push him off, but the pain only doubled with each punch that kept knocking his head against the freezing ground. He let out a scream that was an octave higher than he thought he could produce, only cut off by a punch to his neck.

Blood was seeping into his eyes while two of Tetra's friends were trying to haul Gonzo off of him, and Link helped get Linebeck away from them, dragging him through the snow. Someone was shouting, and it sounded like a grown woman. Linebeck let his head remain tilted forward, everything aching and feeling broken. Glancing up, he saw Tetra and her group running away. The woman spoke again, and Linebeck uttered a nasty curse under his breath as he recognized Zelda's voice. Was he really going to run into two of the city's leaders a few days apart from the other, both times in agony and hurt? This was just plain humiliation.

"What the- Hey, are you ok?" Linebeck groaned at Zelda's words, leaning heavily against Link and glancing up at her concerned expression. "O-oh god... what happened?"

Linebeck sniffed and brushed away the blood seeping out of his nose. "Your sister and her friends are a bunch of f-"

"They attacked him first!" Link interrupted. "T-Tetra attacked him, then Gonzo started to hurt him! It's they're fault!"

Zelda looked back up, almost as if Tetra and her group returned. Looking back down, she stammered, "I-I... If you come with me, I can help you two. I've got a few questions, too..." She helped haul Linebeck to his feet, muttering, "You're lucky I found you. Bellum would probably have you arrested for being in a fight like that."

Linebeck let out a weak laughed, saying, "I wouldn't be so sure about that, but whatever." He drew a grating breath. "Whatever. Yeah, I need help."

Link looked up at Zelda. "Do we have to go far?"

"No, I live near here. But I'm sure your friend here knew that." Zelda sighed. "C'mon, let's go. He's a mess, and I'm sure the two of you want this over with."


	25. Chapter 25

"Welcome to day whatever of Linebeck getting the shit beaten out of him," Linebeck sullenly muttered, sitting on a table while he waited for Zelda to return with the medical supplies.

Link sat in a chair near the table. "You have been getting hurt a lot recently. Hopefully this is the last time..."

Linebeck snorted. "According to a few people out in the streets, I'm a good punching bag. But we haven't met them. Bah, she's taking forever."

"Well, you're badly hurt. She's got to get everything to help you." Link stared at Linebeck. He had cuts above his eyes and on his jaw, bruises on his throat and face. He kept his left eye closed, blood still dripping over it. His hair was tousled and messy, even a bit bloodied. Link was worried for the first few minutes, but his curse-laden responses to whatever Zelda said showed Link that he'd be more or less fine. The day he stopped his sarcasm and cursing was the day he neared death.

Linebeck was quiet. They'd walked about a mile to get to Zelda's home, a tower-like building. Link had been quiet most of the way, keeping an eye on Linebeck. Zelda was nearly silent as well but did speak a few times. Now, the two of them were sitting in her kitchen while she retrieved the supplies. It was a bit awkward, but at least Zelda was nice about it.

Zelda returned to her kitchen with the medical supplies, the two orphans talking to each other quietly. She set the kit on the table, Linebeck shifting out of the way. "So, what exactly happened back there?" She opened the kit, waiting for one of the kids to answer.

Finally, Linebeck shrugged. "I dunno. Tetra and her group just cornered us for some reason, we talked, and she attacked me, and kicked her away, and the other kid pinned me to the group and started beating me up, and then you showed up. Simple shit. Your sister has problems." He stared at the med kit. "Oh, right. You're helping us. Do we owe you anything?"

Zelda sighed. "Just leave my sister alone."

"Riiiight." Linebeck muttered. "What are your questions? I don't really care what they are right now. Just ask them." He shifted, then added, "All of this hurts like hell."

Zelda sighed. "Just be quiet for a second. It's hard to think with you talking." He went silent, and Zelda glanced between the battered urchin and her items, deciding what she would need. She'd helped a few orphans before, just not one that had been recently notable. Bit of a coincidence. She pulled out a few items to stop infection and asked, "What do you remember about your dad?"

Linebeck shrugged. "Not much, really. I have a hard time remember my parents. I can recall small, uh, scenes, but nothing too detailed. Why do you give a single shit?" He flinched away from Zelda with a cotton ball soaked in disinfectant. "That shit smells that crap. What the hell is it?"

"Disinfecting stuff. It'll help you not get sick. It might burn, but it'll help." Linebeck scowled at it for a moment longer, and relaxed. Zelda nodded slightly, glancing at Link for a fraction of a moment before cleaning off Linebeck's cuts. "Why is my sister hunting you down?" She kept an eye on the kid while she wet the cotton ball with more disinfectant.

He exchanged a glance with Link. "She said that we've been getting in her way. Starting to piss me off, and Link's clearly not happy with her and her group's bullshit. Why don't you let her come back home? It'll be better for everyone, anyways. She's just being a little bitch out on the streets." Linebeck saw Zelda's venomous glare and averted his gaze. "Sorry if my calling out your sister pisses you off, but she's a little shit."

Zelda contemplated arguing with him, but her conversation with Bellum earlier that day tired her out. She cleaned off the last cut. "Didn't you dislocate your arm earlier this week?" She raised an eyebrow at him, ignoring Link sitting on the table next to Linebeck. "You've had a rough week. Both of you."

Linebeck frowned. "How'd you hear about that?" He watched Zelda pull out a small band-aid, and muttered, "That tiny little thing isn't going to last long."

Zelda scowled. "Well, you'd better make it last long. And Bellum's my co-worker. He tells me about his work, even if he hates me." She paused. "We talked today, but I really wouldn't call it a talk considering the moment I approached him in the bar, he ordered the strongest thing they hand, so I made sure to leave before he started a fight. He told me about your encounter. Why do you think he went out of his way to fix your arm?"

Linebeck gritted his teeth, flinching slightly as Zelda placed a band-aid over one of his cuts. "He said that it would be more annoying if he had to deal with his team seeing us there as well. They'd think we were hostages, and Bellum didn't want to deal with that. He didn't want to do any more work. Simple. Why do you give a shit?"

Accidentally applying the next one with too much force, Zelda apologized between gritted teeth to an angry Linebeck. "I'm just curious. Hey, Link." The younger orphan looked up. "What do you think about Linebeck? You two have been travelling around together for a while."

Link smiled brightly. "I'm glad that I met him. We're good friends. No, we're brothers! I said so, and Linebeck said so. We're brothers. You're not allowed to say otherwise. I don't like seeing him get hurt. Thanks for helping us." He glanced over at Linebeck, who still looked unhappy with their current situation.

"That's nice," Zelda murmured. She glared sternly at Linebeck when he flinched away from the next band-aid. "Look, kid, relax."

"I'm not going to relax; I've spent the last four years in a place where I can't relax if I want to properly survive. Old habits are hard to kill. Deal with it, asshole. I'm not going to be nice to you." Linebeck stubbornly met Zelda's stony glare with his own and let out a small squeak as she roughly shoved the last band-aid on the third cut. "Are we done?" he asked, rubbing his bruised throat.

Zelda squinted at him for a moment. "You should be good, but rest. I'd give you an ice pack for the bruises, but it's snowing. You can leave if you wish." The two kids nodded, and Zelda closed her med kit. "I'd like it if you left soon, I have to get back to work." They didn't leave while she put her stuff away, and she glared at them while looking through her work bag. "You can leave. Leave."

Link hopped off the table. "Ok. You don't have any more questions?"

Zelda paused, walking away from her bag. "I guess I've got a few more. Have you retrieved Bellum's heirloom knife from Tetra? That seems to be her problem with you."

"Nah, we don't have it," Linebeck answered with a shrug. "She just sees us as obstacles and shit. A little stupid, really." He hopped off the table with Link, looking around. "Do you have a mirror somewhere?"

Zelda nodded while Linebeck wrapped his scarf back around his neck. "In the bathroom, yeah. I'll show you where it is." She led them out of that small kitchen and into the dark hallway, leading them to a closed door. "There. Don't be long. Like I said, I need to get back to work, and you're wasting my time." Linebeck rolled his eyes for a moment and walked in, peering in the mirror.

Keeping an eye on Link, Zelda leaned against the wall with a sigh. This kid was crazy. Not Link, Link was the reasonable one. It seemed like he was the only thing keeping Linebeck from doing whatever he wanted. Link looked up at Zelda. "Is it true that you won't let Tetra come home? Isn't she your sister?"

Why was everyone so concerned about that now? Zelda scowled. "Yeah, she's my sister, but she's doing fine on the streets. I've just got too much work to deal with her. She left of her own accord in the first place." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Do me a favor and don't get into another fight with my sister."

Link nodded. "I'll try and keep him from making them mad again. Sorry for bothering you and making you take us in for a bit."

"You're a good kid," Zelda mumbled. Linebeck left the bathroom rubbing at his face and glanced up at Zelda. "Done? Can you two leave now?"

Linebeck stuck his tongue out at her but nodded. "Yeah. You can lead us to the door."

Zelda scrutinized him for a moment, and sighed. "Yeah, sure. It's through the kitchen, c'mon." She turned and walked down the hall, making sure the two of them were following. Link was silent, but Linebeck was eyeing everything they passed. If she was lucky, he wouldn't take anything, but that was unlikely, and she'd been unlucky for the past few days.

She practically had to shove them out of the house. Link kept wanting to look around. "This place is cool. Did you have it made for only you? It's cool." Zelda ignored him and slammed the door once they were out of sight in an alleyway.

Finally. Zelda leaned against the door for a bit, thinking about her encounter. It was strange. The two of them seemed to be running into her and Bellum more often than she would've expected. Most kids avoided them- but they were running into them by accident.

But that wasn't an awful encounter. Sure, Linebeck was a bit rude and such, but Link was a bit more pleasant. The kid seemed to be very soft-spoken, with a bit more of a grip on the language, while Linebeck had the vocabulary of a sailor. She doubted she'd ever met a kid at his age that cursed as much as he did.

On the subject, that had felt like talking to Bellum again. With a tad bit more cursing, of course, but it felt like dealing with him again. She had the choice to stay at home. It wasn't like she needed to the rest of her work. She could go around and check on the post offices another day. Yeah.

On the other hand, she was tempted to track Bellum back down. They'd talked about their work, and Zelda brought up the strange rain. The ended up agreeing that Ganondorf was probably screwing around, as he was a bit better with magic than the two of them.

Zelda rubbed her face and walked back over to her bag. She dug through it, looking for her papers-

"What the hell-"

That little prick stole her wallet!

"We're close to the castle now. We might be able to reach it in the afternoon."

Link nodded, constantly glancing to and away from Linebeck. "Uh, are you alright? How long do you think it'll take for all of that to heal?"

"Day or two. We've got that healing ointment, now. Might use it when we stop for the night. How are you feeling?"

Link shrugged. He kicked up a bit of the snow. "She was nice."

"Bit nosy. I don't really wanna meet her again." Linebeck smiled to himself. "At least that was relatively profitable."

Bemused, Link peered up at Linebeck. "Profitable? What do you mean?"

Linebeck dug through the messenger bag for a moment and pulled out a sizable pouch. "This. Hopefully, we can make whatever's in this last."

"W-when'd you get that?!"

Linebeck smirked triumphantly. "I stole it- from Zelda. Right out of her bag. Should have a nice sum in it. I'll look later, though." He opened it slightly, then closed it, shoving back in the bag. "Anyways. To the castle. We've got a few miles to go, but I should check the map..." He stopped in his tracks, pulling out an unfolding the map. Link peered at it with him, trying to pinpoint their location before Linebeck put it back away.

"Yeah, a few more miles," he muttered.

Link nodded. "Ok. Let's keep going." He took Linebeck hand and dragged him through the alleyway until Linebeck tugged his arm away. "Sorry." Linebeck shrugged and went back to leading the way. He still looked a mess, but the bandages made him look a bit better.

"I think we're near my stash with the camera," Linebeck muttered. "I want to check on that and develop the pictures it took with this small thing." He glanced around; half tempted to take out the map again. "It's near the middle of the city, I know that."

Link nodded. "Yeah, you showed it to me before breaking into the house you stole the key to. Remember that?"

"That was around a month and a half ago, yes, I remember it." Linebeck stopped at the crossroad and jogged down the left. "What are the chances we can make it without looking at the map? I'm, uh, cardinally aware? I know which way north and south and shit are without needing a map or compass." He squinted up at the dark sky for a moment, almost tripping in the snow. "Yeah, pretty sure we're going the right way."

Link kept his gaze on the older orphan's back, contemplating the honesty in his claims. "Sometimes, I can't tell if you're lying or not."

"Same. I lie to myself a lot, too."

Link tilted his head to the side. "How do you lie at yourself?"

"Dunno, it's a psychological thing. I think." Linebeck shrugged, glancing at a few trashcans that they passed. "I don't know. It's like thinking of something as true, even if it's not true, for so long that you convince yourself." He paused, clearly deep in thought for a moment. "I should try and reverse some of the lies I've told myself."

"That's a good idea," Link responded. "Also, why do you curse so much?"

"Uh, habit. I started and then it kept on becoming more habitual and now there no point in stopping me because it's pretty fun and it feels like a way to, uh, ward off people and act as a testament to the fact that I'm not afraid to use whatever means I'll need to survive."

"Then why aren't you letting me curse?"

Linebeck glanced over his shoulder at the kid. "Because. I feel like you would gain nothing from it. I also feel like you wouldn't do it anyways. No more questions. We need to keep moving." Linebeck looked through their messenger bag and took out their canteen, drinking the rest of the water.

Done, Linebeck tossed the water bottle back at Link. Link caught it in his hands and stared at it with a look of confusion. "What-"

"Fill it with some snow. No yellow snow. Yellow snow is bad. Just fill it with snow and give it back."

Link nodded obediently, stopping and kneeling in the snow. Linebeck watched him. Link carefully shoveled snow into the canteen, ignoring the biting cold. "Will this work?" Link quietly asked, glancing meekly up at Linebeck. "I dunno if this'll work."

"I've done this before; it melts in the bag. It'll be fine." Linebeck let Link shove some more snow in, then said, "Ok, that's good. Put the cap back on and give it back." Link nodded, doing as he said and handing the freezing canteen back to Linebeck. "Wonderful, let's keep going." He helped haul Link to his feet, and they continued down the alleyway.

Even though she wanted to stay home, Zelda planned to leave anyways. Not for work, but she decided to talk to Bellum a bit more. Despite her friendliness and status, she didn't have many friends, and considered her volatile co-worker to be a friend. Her theory still stood, and she felt like she was getting closer to the answer she was seeking. But, then again, she could've just been suspicious based off of a few situations and actions. There wasn't much basis to her curiosity.

But she could still try and track Bellum down, and sincerely hoped he wasn't drunk. He was smart, though. He worked nearly every day of the week and knew that he needed to be able to actually go along his routes.

She had a list of his routes, and his Thursday routes were always close to the middle rings of the city. Zelda paused, reading through the papers she had lined up on her table. There wasn't much of a chance she'd actually run into him. She could wait for him at his house, but that would only piss him off like before. Zelda sighed, collapsing in her chair. No point.

At least this allowed her to think about what she saw in his house. The main reason that people had pictures facing down was because they brought up bad memories, or if a person in the picture was dead. If Bellum was honest, and that picture she'd seen was really a younger him with his non-biological family, then it was perhaps facedown since his father was dead. But that was different. Getting rid of pictures of deceased parents seemed irrational.

And what about the rest? Also pictures of his dead family? She'd only seen it for a split-second, but the man in the picture she'd seen looked a lot like Bellum. Or it was a coincidence. Another sigh escaped her mouth, and she leaned back.

She was being nosy and insensitive. It was probably nothing, she could've just been overthinking. It seemed to be a sensitive subject to Bellum, and the guy seemed to value his privacy very much. Zelda knew that she valued her privacy as well. But she couldn't shove the theory from her mind.

Whatever. Zelda gathered up the papers again, tossed them uncaringly in her desk drawer once she got to her bedroom. She should just stick to her own job. Bellum was the one that dealt with orphans and their dead or not dead families and made note of dead people in general. Zelda just ran the city. It was none of her business.

On a separate note, she needed to try and get some more work time in tomorrow. She needed to get back the money Linebeck had stolen. Perhaps she could ask Ganondorf for a raise- he was in charge of the city's currency, after all.


	26. Chapter 26

"This is the castle!" With arms wide open, Linebeck glanced sidelong at Link. They'd reached the castle late, but reached it nonetheless. It was, well, a castle. Made of clean-cut stone, windows with curtains drawn. Guards stood at the gate, but no one was inside the gate with the castle. It was more of a city treasure than an actual castle, a reminder of how the city first began.

Link was staring up at it, his eyes wide. The emotion on his face was indecipherable until a wide smile crossed his face. "It's so big. It's so cool! Why can't we go in?"

Linebeck let his arms fall to his sides. "It's considered a sacred place, and it's really goddamn old. If we went in, we'd be arrested. You can look at it, though. It is really cool. It's really old but looks like it was built only a few years ago. Now that I get a close look at it, I'm pretty sure those rumors about new phantoms being trained here are all bullshit lies. Kids like to spread rumors to scare others or secure something for their own. I know, I've done it before."

Link nodded. He didn't seem to absorb what Linebeck said. His dopey smile was still wide, and his eyes were flicking around, taking in every inch of the castle. "I-I can look around? I can walk around and see it all?"

"Yeah, go ahead," Linebeck softly said. "I'll wait here. Go ahead. It's cool. I'll check the post office. I usually do that in the middle of the night. Have fun. Don't get lost." He waved Link away, glancing around for a bench. "I've been here before; you can look around. I'll be around here; the post office is behind us."

Link blinked, looking over at Linebeck. There was genuine excitement in his eyes. He was really delighted to be there, eager to look around and see the castle. It was probably the happiest Linebeck had seen Link on the streets, excluding the festival. It was nice to see Link so thrilled about something. The kid hesitated, then jogged away, keeping his gaze glued to the castle. Linebeck chuckled to himself as Link almost ran into someone.

Now, for the post office. Linebeck turned, glanced from store sign to store sign, and ran over to the small post office. They had a board with lists of people with letters to collect. Linebeck scanned down the list, fairly surprised to see his own name on there. Probably a letter from the library. He walked into the post office, the small bell over the door jingling quietly. The castle and tower post office was so nice compared to the other.

"Hello. Are you here to send a letter, or was your name on the board?" Linebeck looked up at the guy at the desk. He looked only a few years older than Linebeck himself.

"Uh," Linebeck adjusted his scarf carefully, walking up to the counter. "My name was on the board."

The guy smiled, brushing a bit of brown hair out of his face. "Right. What's your name? Just saying that your name is on the board isn't really that helpful."

Linebeck felt his face go a bit red. "S-sorry. I'm Linebeck."

The guy nodded. "Wait here. I'll go get the letter. It'll only take a moment."

Linebeck nodded, stepping back a bit. It was a small room, but was warm, the light a warm yellow color. Everything about this place seemed to be warm. It was nice. There were small cabinets with numbers on each drawer. Maybe each number corresponded to another post office. Linebeck played with the end of his scarf for a bit, and the guy returned with a letter. "Here. It's from the library down the main street." Linebeck nodded, mumbling a thanks, taking the letter.

Linebeck left quickly and settled down on one of the empty benches. It'd be better to wait for Link before opening the letter. He left it on his lap and took out the small slip of paper from the basket. For a moment, he wondered why the post office guy didn't comment on his beat-up face. Perhaps he was just being polite.

The small little slip of paper was easy to hide, and he felt lucky that Link hadn't seen it. If the kid had seen it, he'd be asking Linebeck why he was hiding it from him. Linebeck held it up, reading the neat, clean handwriting multiple times over. He felt nothing the first few times he read it, but guilt managed to worm its way in. Linebeck hid the small note away once again, scared of being overwhelmed by his own emotions. But it was nice, reassuring, and it helped him come to a decision- now to plan the execution.

It was a bright evening, the sun peeking out through the gloomy clouds. Wintertime always sucked, but Link made just about everything better on the streets. He was so optimistic and curious, it brightened even the darkest days on the streets, and seeing him sad and distressed over Linebeck's pain only brought the both of them further down. Link was the moral compass for the both of them as well as the morale officer, while Linebeck was the leader of the operation and the one who kept inventory.

Link surprised Linebeck when he ran over. Linebeck got up to greet him and was almost pushed to the ground by Link tackling him in the tight hug. "That was so cool!" Link announced, grinning cheerfully up at Linebeck. "Thanks for showing this to me."

Linebeck nodded, hugging Link back. "You're welcome. I didn't think you'd like it as much as you do. We, uh, need to keep going, so we'll leave in a bit. We got a letter from the library."

Link peered up at him. "Oh, the library? Cool. We can leave if you want. This was cool enough. Can we sleep near where you keep your camera stuff?"

"Yeah, sure. C'mon."

They retreated from the crowd of people back into the alleyways, Linebeck leading the two of them as always. There were more urchins in the alleys near the middle of the city. They jogged through the mazes between the buildings, passing by shivering orphans or other kids walking through. Link glanced at each closed door they passed. "Hey, Linebeck?"

Linebeck slowed a bit, letting Link catch up with him. "Yeah?"

"I noticed that almost every door in the city has a keyhole."

"Mhm. What's your point?"

"Well, I noticed we really haven't been using the knife-key thing at all."

"We haven't had to," Linebeck replied. "We'll use it if we need to." He took out the knife in question, and the two of them stopped to look at it. It had been used as a weapon more and a skeleton key, but that was mostly due to the latter trait being hidden. It was like the perfect thief's tool. Good for getting in, and for fighting. It certainly would draw attention with the small jewels on the guard, so Lineebck quickly returned it to his pocket, and the two of them continued through the alleyways.

It was dark once they rediscovered Linebeck's camera and pictures. Link helped Linebeck shift the dumpster once again, revealing the small stash. He set aside the pile of pictures and got to work on connecting the smaller camera with the normal, and Link stared at the pictures. He reached over to them but stopped. He'd already looked at them. So, he sat back and watched Linebeck, the older urchin taking the small cube and connecting it to the top of the camera. "I've never seen the smaller camera anywhere except with you. How'd you get it?"

"...Found it. It's rare since it's a prototype. But I managed to snag one about a year back. It takes some time to spit the pictures out, so we'll spend the night." There was a click, then a faint whirring from the camera. Linebeck backed up against the wall with it on his lap, and Link gathered up the photos. "Keep those safe," Linebeck muttered. "I don't want any of them ruined."

"Ok," Link said with a nod. "Don't you have a bag for them?"

"Used to. Lost it a little bit ago. Don't really need it, since if I need to keep them with me, I can just keep them in my pockets or the messenger bag." He tapped the camera. "If you want, you can just go to sleep. We're staying here for the night."

Link shrugged. "I'll stay up for a bit. What's the letter say?"

Linebeck yawned slightly, then rummaged through the messenger bag. "Just a moment. Let me get it out." After a moment, he pulled out the letter. "Here. Let me read it really quick."

Link watched him skim the letter. The handwriting seemed to change every few lines. It looked like the four of them at the library took turns writing parts of it. Linebeck's expression didn't change while reading it, and he folded it back up once done. "Basically, they want to see us at the library. Apparently, a few days ago, Tetra's group went over and talked to them about something. About a day or two before they attacked us. Ciela is mostly concerned about how you're doing, Leaf is wondering if we're both doing fine, and Neri is wondering if we're handling things. Pretty much the same three things."

"Oh, really?" Link asked, peering over into the bag. "Was Oshus the one who mentioned Tetra's group? Can I see the letter?"

"No," Linebeck snapped. "I'm gonna throw it away after getting to the library. No point in keeping it, anyways. I'm never going to read it again." He gently pushed Link away, then stopped. "Damn, it's cold."

"Uh, yeah. It's been cold all day. It's snowing."

"But it's colder than usual." Linebeck shivered slightly. "Of course, the temperature will drop like this. You're not used to stuff this cold, right?"

Link shook his head. "No, I'm not used to this. My beanie helps, but the cold is kinda painful. What about you?" He pulled the woolen hat over his ears, shifting closer to Linebeck. "You're more used to this, right?"

"Yeah, but it's still really cold." Cautiously placing the camera onto the snow between him and the dumpster, Linebeck laid an arm across Link's shoulders. "Better to huddle together." Link looked up at him and shuffled closer.

The whirring of the camera grew loud for a moment. Linebeck glanced down at it. "Oh, that was fast. Guess I didn't take as many pictures as I thought." He picked it up, keeping his arm around Link. "Let's look at them."

He set the camera on his lap, taking off the mini one and putting it in its pocket. Link watched him hold the camera upside down, and an undeveloped picture slipped out. He shook it, and around six more pictures fell out. "I hate how they come out like that." Link nodded slightly and picked up the first picture that fell out. "I started taking the pictures after I showed you the camera for the first time."

Link flapped the picture a bit, then looked at it. It was a picture of the top of the train they had run along. "When... how..."

"I managed to take it out a one point, mostly out of curiosity. I wanted to see if I could take a picture like that, and, hell, I did." Linebeck held up the next picture, of the cat in the park. "Took this one a bit before you got bitten." The next picture was of the graveyard, of the candle he had placed at his old friend's grave.

Link blinked. "I almost forgot about that." He reached for the next picture. The room we stayed at in the library! They were so nice." He glanced up after linebeck tapped him on the head, looking at the picture he was holding up. "Oh, the festival!"

Link reached over and took the last two photos. "How'd you get a picture of Bellum?"

"Took it was we were leaving the factory. Managed to get him as he was turning around. And this one..." He held up the picture of Zelda. "While we were leaving. But that should be all of the pictures..." He shook the camera again, nodding. "Yep. It's getting late."

"...Is it?" Link asked, looking up at the sky. "Wow. Didn't notice." He shuffled the photos in his hands, then gave them to Linebeck. "Here."

Linebeck nodded, taking them and sliding them behind the dumpster along with the camera. "You should get some rest if we're going to be doing more walking tomorrow. I'll try and sleep, too. These cuts still hurt, and it feels weird to breathe." He glanced over at Link, the kid working on relaxing even further against him. "Hope you don't have any nightmares."

Link nodded, closing his eyes, clearly waiting for sleep. Linebeck looked down at him, pulling him a bit closer. "Hope you stay warm," Linebeck mumbled. It was still freezing, but Link seemed to radiate a bit of warmth. Not the kind of feverish warmth, but just the normal body heat. He'd be fine.

* * *

Linebeck managed to get some sleep, but Link woke him up early in the morning. Linebeck grunted, pushing him away. "What- what the hell do you want? It's too early..."

Link had a frightened expression, tears in the corners of his eyes. For a moment, Linebeck was afraid that something was happened. But he relaxed when Link rasped, "I had another nightmare."

"Another?" Linebeck asked. "Meaning, you've had more than one recently?"

Link nodded, averting his gaze but hugging Linebeck. "Well, yeah, but they weren't too bad." As he pressed against Linebeck, the older kid realized he was trembling.

"Was this one bad? Like, really bad?" Linebeck sat up a bit, Link backing away slightly. "I mean, you've had a few nasty ones, but you haven't really had to wake me up over it." He yawned, stretching slightly.

Link sat back, staring at his feet. "...I don't remember it too well. I just know that it was really scary to me. I think you were in it."

"Was I? I guess it's good that you don't remember it too well. Let eat a bit of a breakfast before we get going." Linebeck started digging through the messenger bag, tossing Rainbakku at Link. "Here. This should be able to help you calm down a bit." The kid caught it and hugged the little dog plushie to his chest.

Link shrugged a bit, petting the stuffed animal on its dirty head. Linebeck watched him for a bit, pausing in his search for their food. "That things kinda nasty."

"Hey! He's not gross."

"...It kinda is. I think that's mold."

Link looked blatantly offended, leaping to his feet and hugging Rainbakku even tighter to his chest. "Well, I don't think we're any cleaner!"

"I don't see any mold on you." Linebeck stuck his tongue out at Link, then pulled out the small container of carrots. "Let's have these." He waited until Link sat back down and split the carrots between the two of them. He cursed under his breath after dropping one of the carrots and ended up giving it to Link after getting the snow off of it. They ate in silence, but Linebeck could tell that Link still had his mind on the dream. "If you wanna talk about it, you can."

Link shook his head, almost done eating. "No, I don't want to."

"Alright." Linebeck returned the container to the bag, and they got to their feet once ready to keep going. Link kept Rainbakku in his arms while they walked through the snow, the clouds above them gray. Linebeck wouldn't be surprised if it started snowing. He glanced around, then asked, "You know what a calendar is, right?"

"...Yeah, I know my months."

"Ok. I'd say we're closer to the middle of December right now. We'll be doing a lot of walking today, but I think it'll only keep getting colder. We could try and find you a coat, if you want."

"I'll be fine," Link said, peering into a trash can before continuing. "How long do you think it'll take to get back to the library? And why do you think they want us to go back there again? It hasn't been very long since we left... how long has it been?"

"...Maybe two weeks. Dunno. Hard to keep track. But it's probably got something to do with the fact that Tetra's group went over there." They passed by a kid under a shelter, Linebeck glancing down at them before continuing talking. "The old man didn't say anything about what he wanted to talk about or anything. Just that he wanted us at the library."

Link nodded. "Ok. I'd be happy to see the four of them again. They're really nice!"

"Sure. At least you like them. I tolerate them." Link laughed quietly, walking closer to Linebeck. "On a different note, I checked out those books. They're adventure stories. Kinda like the book we took from the library, only a bit shorter. You can read them once we reach the library again. For now, we're moving on."

They wandered through the alleyways once again, the quality noticeably declining the farther from the middle they went. Link peered up at the tops of the buildings, fluctuating between sloped roofs and flat expanses. A few had plants peeking out from the edges, suggesting rooftop gardens. The two of them peeked out onto a more populated street, a flower store closed across from them. Link stared through the glass at the colorful flowers in the darkness until Linebeck dragged him back into the alley.

"But those flowers were so pretty!" Link complained. But, either way, he followed Linebeck back through the snowy alleyways. "Do flowers ever grow in the alleyways?"

"Not that I've seen. But I think it might be possible." Linebeck stopped for a moment, crouching down and brushing away some snow. It piled up on the side, Linebeck trying to see the part of the ground that connected to the wall. "I think grass sometimes grows in spots like this. I'll see if there's any dead grass here. Too cold for flowers now."

"Ok," Link softly said as Linebeck got back to his feet, brushing the snow off his knees. "We'll keep going." He walked off, leaving Linebeck to stare curiously after him before following.

"Damn. You seem pretty unhappy about the prospect of no flowers."

Link frowned. "Flowers are so pretty. I like them." He hugged Rainbakku tighter, then held the plush out to Linebeck. "Can you put him back away? I don't want him to get dirty."

Linebeck took the stuffed animal with a nod, biting back a comment about it already being filthy. He stuffed it back in the bag, and the two of them were back on their way to the library, passing piles of trash bags and trashcans. It usually smelled bad in the alleyways, so Linebeck was surprised that Link never said anything about it. Linebeck himself was sure that the kid was half nose-blind. Earlier, he would've asked Link about it, but the kid made a point of not complaining.

"Hey, uh, Link?" Link glanced over his shoulder questioningly. "Why do you... not complain? I understand if you don't want to be annoying, but it seems almost... unnatural. I mean, you're five. You're going through hell, and you haven't done anything to complain. I started with more knowledge but complained to my friend more than you have."

Link shrugged. "I just don't want to. How far are we from the library?" He walked back up to Linebeck, just about leaning against him while he pulled the map back out. Linebeck traced their path carefully and put the map away. "So... a few miles?"

"I guess. We'll probably reach the library tomorrow morning." Linebeck gently patted Link on the back, heading down the alleyway. "C'mon." Link nodded, following behind him once again. "Now, then. I think there's a school around here, so we'll need to keep an eye out for other kids around your age. I've run into them before. They're really goddamn nosy and won't shut the hell up half the time."

"Really?" Link asked. "Wouldn't that just mean that they're curious?"

"Yeah, but they're obnoxious." Linebeck shivered a bit and took out the lighter. He flicked it on and off while he talked. "They consider themselves to be like one of the gangs out here, but they'd get murdered within moments if they truly had to deal with one of these real gangs. Pretty sure they call themselves the 'Killer Bees'."

Link nodded quietly, letting out a small approving grunt. "That's a cool name."

Linebeck scowled. "Not it's not. It might sound cool at first, but it's stupid. Bees? Bees are easy to kill. Sure, you bother them, and they hurt you... but it's not that intimidating. But it does fit. They're all a bunch of little kids who'll bother you if they see you." He held up the lit lighter for a moment, watching the swaying flame for a moment.

"...Is that making it a bit warm for you?"

"Not really," Linebeck murmured. "But it's cool to look at." He put it away, back into his pocket. "Do you think it's cool?"

"Yeah. It looks cool, but it always hurts to touch it 'cuz it's so hot." Link glanced up at Linebeck. "But it's kinda nice to know we have access to fire. That can be good, right?"

"Yep. We can use it a few different ways."

The pair of urchins wandered for hours, and Linebeck started to feel lost. He had a hard time recognizing some placed when they were blanketed in snow. Most of the times in winter, he'd stuck around the same spot. Link was the motivation factor for his wandering in the snow. It was more dangerous, but right now they needed to travel, and showing the kid around the city didn't hurt.

After a bit, Linebeck thoughtlessly murmured, "Do you ever feel like Oshus knows stuff about you that you've never told anyone?"

Link blinked. "...What? I- uh, have only met him a few times, but I guess. It's always felt a bit like that. Why do you ask?"

"...Just... thinking about the letter. The way he was writing and shit... seemed like he knew stuff about me that I've been keeping secrets. Might have something to do with his magic. I've heard that his magic is more passive than most magics."

It seemed odd that he'd bring up that subject but Link only shrugged. Oshus always seemed wise to Link. He hadn't talked to him nearly as much as the three siblings, but it felt like he seemed to say more than them. Link shook his head. He wasn't even making sense to himself. Linebeck glanced back at him, and Link smiled up at him.


	27. Chapter 27

Snow fell lazily from the sky, forcing Linebeck to hold the map under a small shelter so that it didn't get wet. "I'd say we've got a mile left. If we'd kept going last night, we might've reached it."

Link laughed humorlessly. "Maybe we should've kept going, then!"

Linebeck grunted. "You're the one who wanted to stop." He smiled over his shoulder at Link, calmly folding up the map. "Anyways. We'll get going in a bit. We've already eaten and shit, so there's no point in just sitting around." He put the map away, putting the messenger bag back over his shoulder. "Let's get going in a bit."

Link backed up, nodding. "Ok. We'll go, then?"

"Right. You slept well, correct?" Link nodded. "Cool. I didn't sleep at all. C'mon." Linebeck got to his feet, smoothing out the sleeves of his coat. Link, as per usual, tugged the beanie over his ears. "We should get there shortly, but we did wake up pretty late."

"...We did?" Forgetting that the sun was hidden by the clouds, Link looked up at the sky. "How can you tell?"

"I didn't sleep, remember? You were sleeping for a long time." Linebeck tapped Link on the top of the head, starting to walk away. "How do you feel?"

"Good! Happy. I'm excited to go back to the library. I wonder how they're doing?"

"They're probably doing great. They have a home and food and shit. They're definitely doing much better than we are." Linebeck glanced up at the sky for a moment, then broke into a jog. "Keep up, I wanna get there quickly." Link nodded, running after him. The deep snow slowed them, but it was better than just walking. They passed a few other kids, but didn't run into any gangs or animals.

Link watched Linebeck while they ran, then asked, "So, uh, you still don't remember your parents very well?"

Linebeck slowed slightly, glaring at Link over his shoulder. "Yeah. Not many memories. All fuzzy. Like I've been telling you this whole time." He adjusted his scarf. "Stop asking about it. I clearly don't remember them."

Link pouted. "How come, though? It's only been four years and you spent eight with them. You should be able to remember something about them. Do you remember their names? What they looked like? You just seem to have memories of things that happened, but not of them."

"Didn't I tell you not to bring that up? I don't remember them." Linebeck picked up his pace, ignoring the rest of Link's attempts to talk to him on the way to the library.

"...It's suspicious," Link finally said. They'd ran a few blocks now and slowed to a walk as the snow picked up and began to make it difficult for them to see too far. "It's like you're trying to hide something."

"Well, I'm not." They emerged into the main street, Linebeck leading Link past a few buildings. They both started to shiver while it started to snow harder, and it almost seemed like a snowstorm would start in a few minutes. "Let's, uh, hurry up. The snow's getting bad," Linebeck murmured. The wind began to howl as Link asked that he repeat himself.

Link let out a started gasp as Linebeck roughly took his hand and started to drag him to the side. At least the snow wasn't as bad closer to the walls. They didn't have to far to get to the library, but the snow was becoming more and more of a problem. Hopefully the library would still be warm.

It wasn't long before the two orphans were clambering up the stairs into the library. Linebeck pushed on the frosted glass, the cold snapping at is fingers, but they stepped into the warmer air of the space between the two doors. There was nothing new on the corkboard aside from a list of new books. Peering in, Leaf wasn't at his counter, but Linebeck could see Neri walking between the shelves. They pushed open the next set of doors and let them slam behind them, catching Neri's attention.

The blue-haired woman stared at them, then headed into one of the back rooms. It was dead silent in the library. Linebeck had never seen it as empty as it was. Usually there was always a troop of urchins using the place as a hideout for the wintertime, but no one was there. Link clung tightly to Linebeck's sleeve like he usually did, peering up him questioningly, but said nothing.

They walked into the middle of the library, peering around. Linebeck pulled out the stolen book from the bag. "I need to return this..." Link nodded and followed him as he found the empty spot on the shelf. Linebeck stared at the old book for a moment, then slipped it back where he found it. "I'm pretty sure they noticed. But whatever. Didn't say it in the latter." The two of them stared at the spine of the book for a moment longer, then returned to the middle of the library. It seemed that Neri was getting everyone else, as Leaf was waiting for them.

The young man waved half-heartedly at them. "Hey. You got our letter?"

"Clearly. Where the hell is everyone?" Linebeck gestured to the empty library, Link smiling at Leaf. "Why did the old man want us here?"

Leaf shrugged, sitting down at one of the tables. "No idea. He wouldn't tell us. But he started talking about getting you two back here after Tetra's group talked to us."

"Why did they want to talk to you?"

Leaf rubbed the side of his face. "...They were kinda aggressive about it. Asking all kinds of stuff about Bellum at first and gave up when Oshus told them that we didn't know much about them. They asked for a map of the middle district, then about poisons they can get in the city. Devious stuff. I'm worried."

Linebeck paused. "And that was... before you sent the letter."

"Yes."

"Ah. In case you're wondering, one of her friends beat the shit out of me." He pointed to the now faint bruises and scabs. "Zelda helped us out after that. Where's the old man?"

As if on cue, Oshus and the rest of Leaf's siblings walked out towards them. "Ah, good, you came," Oshus said upon seeing the two orphans. "We have a few things to talk about, most being important to you, Linebeck, but I'll wait until you two have... recovered from the cold."

Link started to talk, Linebeck nodded. "Ok. We can wait." He glanced from Ciela to Neri then to Leaf, then walked over to the circle of bean bags with Link. "You tired?" he softly asked Link, and the kid shrugged.

"Just cold, but I could take a nap."

Linebeck smiled, sitting down on one of the bean bags. "I think that's a good idea. If you want, I'll wake you up once we're ready to talk."

Link nodded, sitting down next to him and leaning against him. "You're warm," Link softly murmured. He shifted against Linebeck until the older kid tightly hugged him. "...What do you think Oshus meant when he said that what he had to talk about had to do with you?"

Linebeck shook his head, glancing over at the old man for a moment. "...Dunno. Just try and get some sleep." He patted Link on the top of his head, brushing snow off the green beanie. "Just don't sleep for the rest of the day." Link nodded, mumbling an incoherent response before letting his eyes close.

Link drifted into sleep a lot faster than Linebeck expected. His breathing slowed and he curled closer to Linebeck. The library staff lingered around, the siblings looking like they were going to walk over multiple times. Linebeck kept watch over the kid while he slept, occasionally looking at the windows. The snow was slowing down, but it had been snowing for over an hour. Link mumbled in his sleep a few times, but nothing was notable or really coherent.

After a while, Ciela lingered close to them, and quietly asked Linebeck, "What happened? You look like you got in a fight recently."

The boy glared at her but answered. "Like I said. We ran into Tetra's group, we... talked, and one of her friends attacked me. Unimportant. I also dislocated my shoulder, but we got help with that as well."

"Help from who?"

"...Bellum. Long story short, the two of us were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time but crossed paths with Bellum, who helped us out. Some people chasing us dislocated my arm and Bellum fixed it. Link is fine." Linebeck glanced down at the sleeping kid, then around at the library. "Why's it so empty? There's usually a few orphans living here in the winter."

Ciela shrugged, sitting down near them. "I'm thinking that Tetra's group scared them all off. They were pretty aggressive towards them. I'm worried about them, now. But it's interesting when it's all quiet like this." She frowned and pointed at Link. "How's he been doing, him specifically?"

"He's been going good. I showed him the castle in the middle of the city a few days ago." Linebeck smiled down at Link, the kid murmuring in his sleep. "He thought it was really cool. But he's definitely been a lot safer than I have. He doesn't complain, so I'm fine with him sticking around." Linebeck shifted carefully on the beanbag, trying his best not to wake Link.

Ciela pursed her lips, then walked away. Linebeck watched her leave and gently hugged Link tighter when the kid mumbled again. He was probably dreaming. Linebeck himself felt a bit drowsy, but he knew well enough that that didn't mean he was going to sleep. He glanced around one more time, then let his imagination run wild for the next hour.

Finally, Link blinked his eyes open and smiled sleepily at Linebeck. "...Hi. How long did I sleep for?"

"Not too long. Just a nap." Linebeck sat up, Link doing the same. "I guess, uh, just wait at the table and I'll tell the old man that we're ready to talk."

Link nodded, but hugged Linebeck before the older kid walked away. "It's nice to be back here. Thanks for... I dunno."

Linebeck hugged him back. "Uh... ok. Thanks to you too."

Link giggled quietly. "Yeah. I can't really think of why I'm thankful. Just, I guess, thanks for being my brother."

Linebeck pried Link off and nodded. "Right. I guess we're lucky that we found each other. Anyways, go and wait. I won't be long." Leaving the boy alone, Linebeck jogged over to the back room, finding Oshus and the three siblings at the table. "Oh, uh, are we gonna talk in here?"

Oshus shook his head. "No. I assume you're ready? Ciela, you, Neri, and Leaf can go wait with Link at one of the tables out here. Linebeck, I'm going to make tea, I want you to help me carry it out there."

"Er, ok." The teen waited while Oshus made tea, then helped carry out the six cups, wincing against the heat from the containers. He went much slower than Oshus, but managed to set the steaming cups down on the table without spilling a drop. He sat down next to Link, across from the triplets. Oshus sat at the head of the table. "What are you gonna talk about?"

Oshus took a slow sip of his tea, not saying a word for a few moments. Finally, he turned to Linebeck. "Have you or Link heard Tetra or her cohorts say anything about Bellum?"

Linebeck shook his head, ignoring Link's loud slurping. "Nope, they haven't said anything. Why?"

"Well, as I said, they talked and asked about Bellum. The more worrying part is that they started asking about poisons and where to get them." Oshus waited for Linebeck to say more, but he then turned to the triplets. "I'm sure you know that that group is becoming bolder and bolder, correct?"

Ciela paused, then slowly asked, "Yeah... why?"

Oshus sighed, then quickly said, "Well, I know you've been asking, so I'll explain my relationship with Bellum. I'm a friend of his, even worked with him. I'm the one who mentored him before he took over as the Warden and changed things up a bit. We've kept in contact since he's become the city's Warden, but he doesn't seem to like me all that much."

Leaf spat out his tea back into his cup, Neri double-taking while Ciela simply stared at Oshus. "...Really? You two are friends? You are friends with that asshole?"

On the other hand, Linebeck muttered, "Called it. I knew it."

Oshus then glanced between the two orphans. "Link, you may not care too much about this, but Linebeck... I fear that Tetra and her group may be planning to attack Bellum somehow. The poison, questions about Bellum and the layout of his house... they are up to no good."

Linebeck choked on his tea, coughing and almost retching. Ciela stared at him, then at Oshus. "Are you sure? That's pretty far-fetched-"

"Are you shitting me?!" Linebeck interrupted, earning a withering glare from Ciela. "No! No, you're lying. There's no way. That's- we have to do something about that!"

Ciela stared at Oshus for a moment, the at Linebeck. "Why do you give a shit? He's a murderer and honestly deserves it."

"No!" Linebeck shouted back, Link flinched away from him a little, Leaf and Neri slowly leaning away. "He's- he's a good guy! Sure, he may have killed people and all, but- he's not really that bad! W-we can't just let them kill him..." He shrank back into his chair, shaking slightly. Link, hands trembling, gently hugged Linebeck.

Oshus sighed quietly, then glanced at Ciela. The young woman had her fists clenched, then asked slowly, "Now that I think about it... You've always seemed to act a little strange whenever we mention Bellum. You've never seemed scared of him. Link, have you noticed anything?"

The kid withdrew slightly from Linebeck. "I..." He glanced tentatively down at the older kid, then admitted, "I mean... Bellum's never really bothered us, and he's always seemed to glance at Linebeck for a moment. He did help to fix Linebeck's arm. I guess the fact that He stole Bellum's knife might have something to do with... stuff."

Linebeck froze as Ciela asked, "Linebeck, what's your relationship with Bellum? There's clearly something up with you two."

His shaking only worsened as Linebeck hesitantly peered up at Oshus. The old man murmured, "It's better if you tell us the truth."

Linebeck finally looked up, tears in the corners of his eyes, but he maintained a weak smile as he regarded each person. "Right. Well then. Link. The reason I don't remember my parents is because they died when I was still a baby. Younger than your sister. They died about eleven and a half years ago."

Link paused, then asked, "Then... how do you have memories of experiences when you were, like, my age?"

Linebeck took a deep inhale, tears threatening to spill over. "Bellum is my adoptive father. He raised me as his son, and he's my dad. It's been a secret, since so many people hate him, and telling people would only paint a huge target on my back."

Ciela choked on and spat out her own tea. "He's your WHAT?" Oshus glared at her, shushing her.

Linebeck rubbed at the corners of his eyes. "Yeah... that's... We're family."

Ciela wiped at her mouth. "What... what was we like? Why are you on the streets? Did he throw you out? Did you leave on your own? Was he ab-"

"NO!" Linebeck shouted. "No, no, no, no... He... He loved me, he cared about me, I couldn't have had a better adopted father. Screw you! He's not an asshole! He's wonderful!" He grabbed at his shirt sleeves to stop his hands from shaking. "He... he told me that he found me when he was going to collect my parent's dead bodies. They died of the sickness. He expected to find me dead with my parents, but instead found me asleep in my crib. Apparently, he was fascinated that I had survived, and called another group to get my parents while he took me back to his home."

"You were kidnapped," Ciela rudely interjected.

"Adopted. Let me explain. At first, he kept an eye on me as he knew I wasn't going to end up with a home and wanted to see if he could find anything about why I never got sick. He took care of me while he researched and ended up getting roped into unofficially adopting me after getting attached. He obviously kept me a secret from Zelda and Ganondorf, but raised me as his son. I grew up in Bellum's house, he homeschooled me and fed me and loved me as his son. Bellum did tell me about what happened to my parents when I was old enough to explain, but I never stopped seeing him as my true dad.

"The only thing that could be considered negative was that I never left the area of his mansion. He let me run around in the courtyard but made sure that no one saw me. He kept me safe from sickness and harm. I found Copernicus- my little cat plushie- in one of the closets, Bellum taught me how to read maps and taught me about his work and the city, even taught me how to fight with a knife when I asked about it.

"I saw Zelda a few times, but she never met me. I saw her when she went to Bellum's house to talk to him, and I got a few glimpses through slightly open doors or when watching from the stairs. She doesn't know that I'm Bellum's son. No one really does." Linebeck paused to sniff, wiping away the few tears. "He's my dad. I'm so protective over the heirloom knife because it rightfully belongs to me."

He was still shaking when he stopped, Linebeck glancing at each person in turn before staring back down at his tea. There was a frozen silence for a few minutes, then Link quietly asked, "Why... did you leave?"

"...When I was around eight years old, I learned about the part of Bellum's job that required him to kill people but misinterpreted it. My stupid little mind assumed that he just killed people because he wanted to see them die. I panicked and ran away after taking the knife. I ran into my friend soon after, and they showed me the ropes, but I had left a note for Bellum. We ran into each other days afterwards but didn't say a word. He seemed to understand that I wasn't going home. I didn't fully understand that it was part of his job until I was a bit older, but I'm too stubborn to go back. It's stupid." Linebeck rubbed his face for a moment, then hugged himself, glancing around the table.

Neri took a slow sip of her tea. "This is... a lot to take in. To learn something like this after knowing you for these last four years. I understand why'd you keep it a secret. Certainly explains a few things."

Beside her, Leaf nodded. "Also gives insight on Bellum himself. It's cool."

Ciela leaned back, arms crossed, with a frown. "How do we know you're not lying?"

With a scowl, Linebeck snarled, "What would I get from lying about Bellum's son? I know what is and what isn't worth lying about."

Ciela glanced at Oshus. "He could still be lying just to mess with us."

The old man shook his head, stroking his bread. "No. He's telling the truth."

Linebeck's angry gaze flicked over to Oshus. "How do you know, old man? I could have come up with all of this shit on the spot. I'm really good at bullshitting."

Oshus met Linebeck's eyes. "I knew you were Bellum's son before you even met me." There was a strange force to his voice that kept everyone else from responding. "I told you Bellum is my friend, correct? The reason I've taken such an interesting in you, Linebeck, is because I know your father, and he's told me about you."

The group went silent once again. The snow outside started getting violent once again, swirling and looking like the beginnings of a snowstorm. Oshus began, "I first learned when I ran into Bellum on the streets. He had been looking for me, looking equally panicked and elated. He quickly explained to me that he had found you and adopted you, and desperately wanted tips on how to properly raise you. After that, he often came to me with small updates before stopping entirely once he got the hang of things. You could imagine my surprise and sorrow when I learned that you had started living on the streets. I found Bellum at a bar a few days after that, he and explained things, and mentioned that he wasn't going to force you to return home if you didn't want to."

Link was the first to speak this time. "Why didn't you tell me?! Both of you! You can trust me! Linebeck, I'm your little brother now! You can trust me! Why didn't you tell me?"

With a sight, Linebeck flicked the cup in front of him. "I just... didn't want to. I felt like that'd scare you away from me, and I didn't want to be alone again. It'll just cause problems, telling you who my dad is. Besides, I'd already dug my grave, telling you those lies about not remembering my family despite living with them. I thought that if I came clean about it, uprooting all of my other lies, you'd turn on me." He took a small sip of the cooling tea.

He paused, glancing at everyone else. Ciela was pale, Neri was deep in thought, Leaf looking rather uncomfortable. Link had his eyes glued to Linebeck, emotions swirling in his eyes. Oshus, as always, was difficult to read. Linebeck shifted. At least he was done shaking.

A few minutes dragged by. Finally, Oshus sighed and said, "Well. Regarding the subject of Tetra wishing to cause Bellum harm, there is nothing we can do about it."

Linebeck stood up quickly, toppling his chair over. "Bullshit! There's gotta be something we can do!"

"Sit, child. We don't know for sure if they really are going to kill him. There is nothing we can do for the time being. If we were to tell him, yes, it may help him, but it also may be a false alarm and only cause problems. Bellum is a vigilant man, and he knows well enough that he's got a target on his back. Informing him of a planned attack will have him on edge until it happens, or until it is proved otherwise."

Linebeck sat down in a huff, crossing his arms. "Fine. We'll just let him die, then. Link and I will be staying the night." His heart twisted in his chest as he planned out what he would do. "We'll stay in the same room we stayed at around the festival, right?" The four staff of the library nodded. "Right. We'll set up in there. C'mon, Link."

He tugged Link out of his chair, leading him to the back room and stopping at the door to the small room. He turned the doorknob, then cursed as he realized that it was locked. He quickly ripped the blade off the heirloom knife, used the key to open the door, and returned the blade to the hilt and pushed the door open. He and Link headed in, Linebeck laying the messenger bag on the bed. "I'm tired now."

Link watched him check their items and caught Rainbakku when Lineebck threw the little plushie at him. "...Are we going to spend the rest of the week here?"

"...Dunno. You'll stay as long as you want to." Linebeck closed up the bag and patted Link on the head, taking his beanie off. "Let's rest tonight." Again, his heart twisted in his chest. "Get some more sleep. It's not too late, so we can read for a bit, but we'll take some stuff from the kitchen for dinner." With a weary yawn, Linebeck sat on the edge of the bed.

"...Can I read those books from the basket?" Link asked.

"Sure," Linebeck murmured, handing them to him. "By the way, do you have any idea who gave us the basket and that blanket?"

Link shrugged, taking one of the books and returning the other. "I don't know. Who did?"

"It was Bellum. He put a little note in the basket, just saying that he was hoping that I was doing well and that I was safe with you." Linebeck dug through the bag again and held up the little paper, showing Link the small and clean handwriting. "This is Dad's handwriting."

Link paused. "...Are you gonna start calling him 'Dad' now?"

"Probably. It's a habit that has always stuck with me, I never tried to suppress it. I'm usually careful to call him by his name around other people." Linebeck shrugged. "I might start calling him 'Dad' around you now." He laid down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Is that ok with you?"

Link nodded. "I'm fine with it." He flipped through the first book, ignoring Linebeck while he shifted around their stuff. Linebeck was doing his best to be quiet but knocked a few items onto the floor. The two of them didn't speak to each other until Link was halfway through the book. "This book is good," Link softly said.

Linebeck glanced over at Link for a fraction of a second, then back away. "Do you want to get some food?" He closed their bag, done doing whatever he had been doing. "I know I'm hungry. I want to leave the fruit in here for later." Link nodded, setting the book down on the bed. Together, they left the room and headed over to the dimly lit kitchen.

No one was inside. Linebeck had seen Leaf at the counter, though. As for the others, perhaps Oshus was clearing some things up regarding the information they had been given. Ciela seemed to be in denial about it, while Neri was just curious. Leaf seemed to accept it without question.

Link dug around in the cupboards, Linebeck checking in the cooler containers. They eventually ended up cutting up an apple and some cold shrimp. Linebeck put the shrimp in a pan and lit the stove under it, hoping that they'd heat up quick enough. They were more edible once the two of them finished the apple slices, and Link threw away the core while the older kid set the warmed shrimp on a plate.

They ate in silence, peering out the window at the rest of the library. It was still empty, the snowstorm raging outside. Leaf was reading something and taking notes. Once they were done, Linebeck put the plate away. Link watched him for a moment, then quietly asked, "How are you and Bellum so good at pretending like you're not family? You've convinced everyone..."

Linebeck smirked faintly. "We're good actors. Dad learned it though years of his job, and I learned from him, and I'm naturally good at bullshitting and ad-libbing." He rubbed his hands together. "I'm thinking it's late in the afternoon. How are you feeling?"

"Warm. Tired." Link scratched the top of his head. "Where are the others? I can see Leaf from here."

"Probably talking to the old man. Leaf was the only one who accepted what I said quickly. He's a simple dude. We should head back to the room and stay there." Linebeck patted Link on the back as he passed him, the two of them leaving the kitchen together.

The next hour consisted of Link settling down for bed, despite it still being light out. While Link was curled in bed, Linebeck found a sheet of paper. He laid it on the bedside table and waited for Link to fall asleep before considering the words he'd write. It took him some time, but at least his pencil had an eraser. It was twilight once he finished.

Linebeck sulked around the main library, sneaking around so that none of the staff would see him. Once they all left, he found a map of the city- much, much cleaner than the one he found. With his pencil, squinting in the blueish gloom, he traced the quickest path from the library to Bellum's mansion, east of the prison. He folded it up, placing the note inside.

Upon returning to their shared room, Linebeck gently left the map and note on Link's bedside table. This was easier than he thought, but he still felt guilt. It was like a festering wound in the back of his mind, a dull throb that he was barely aware of unless he turned his attention to it. His plan was going smoothly, the execution pure improvisation, but, to anyone else, it would seem meticulously thought out. Digging through the bag, Linebeck left out about twenty rupees. He didn't have much of anything else to leave behind.

Before leaving the room again, Linebeck took out Rainbakku, gently placing the plushie in the sleeping Link's arms. It would tear the kid apart if he left without at least leaving the little stuffed animal with him. He stared at the sleeping kid for a moment, gripping the strap of the messenger bag tightly in his hands.

Almost as an afterthought, Linebeck bent down slightly, gently kissing Link on the forehead. "Sorry," Linebeck softly murmured. "I love you. Just follow my instructions, and you'll see me again." He backed up, feeling lightheaded. Before he could have second thoughts, Linebeck left the room, sprinting out of the library, shoving the doors open and dashing through the foot-deep snow in the streets.

In the morning, Link, tears streaming down his face, showed the rest of the library staff the note he found in Linebeck's absence. They each read it in turn, going over the words multiple times. Finally, they handed it back to Link, who softly read it out loud to himself. "... _'I'm leaving for home. I'm sorry, Link. I left you a map to Bellum's home. You should go there to find me again. I'm lucky to have met you and become brothers with you.'_ "


	28. Chapter 28

Linebeck wandered almost aimlessly through the snow-blanketed streets. It was cold, and he found himself shivering before long. It was late at night, but he barely felt tired. He had around one hundred rupees at hand. He realized perhaps three miles from the library that he still had Link's knife but kept it, nonetheless. He kept the heirloom knife in one of the outside pockets, ready to be pulled out and used.

He didn't see any other awake orphans. For a brief moment, he was worried that Tetra's group might attack while Linebeck was on his way back home, but Bellum was dangerous. That was city-wide knowledge. They'd be stupid just to go right in without any sort of preparations. Not that he planned to stop.

His legs felt like they were made of gel when the sun peaked over the edge of the city wall. He collapsed against the wall, taking out the container of fruit slices. Linebeck let out a small groan, giving his legs some reprise while he ate his meager breakfast. As the sun rose, so did the stray animals, a few scrawny cats making their way through the snow, looking for warm spots, and birds flew around up above.

He sat for a few minutes after finishing his foot, then continued down the alleyways. Linebeck wasn't planning to stop for anything but rest, not even to scavenge for food. If he was going to get home in time, he wasn't going to stop for anything. Other orphans started waking up, staring at Linebeck as he passed. He'd noticed that a lot of orphans often thought that Linebeck was older than he was, a few assuming he was already 18 years old. Sometimes he could use that to his advantage, but not with other adults of the city.

It was another dreary day, but it at least wasn't snowing. Linebeck loosened his scarf slightly and felt a slight twinge of nostalgia. Hadn't he found this scarf in the same area of time as he met Link? Yeah, he was running from that gang and hid under a shelter, finding the scarf and using it to hide. And about an hour after that, he found Link. That was maybe three months ago. Weird how quickly things can change.

Linebeck passed many phantom patrol groups, but they barely noticed him. A few glanced over at him but didn't linger. Bellum had probably made sure that they knew that he was no longer an issue on the streets. Since the beginning of the four years, Linebeck had been aware that Bellum had been manipulating things behind the scenes, keeping phantom groups from bothering him, keeping an eye on him, and interfering in a way so that other would think that it was a convenient coincidence.

Had Link not been there in the factory, Bellum would've probably comforted Linebeck more, rather than curtly fixing his arm and shooing them away. They'd talked occasionally, but it had always been tense. After he left, Linebeck had seen how badly Bellum was doing, stumbling around aimlessly and snapping at everyone, not getting back into the swing of things until three months afterwards.

Linebeck paused at a line of trash cans, peering in and poking open a few bags on the ground. There seemed to be less food trash in the winter months. There were lots more fights over food scraps when they were found. Linebeck was able to avoid fights simply by stocking up on money or avoiding others, or just stealing. It took him around two years to perfect his pickpocketing skills, and it had come in handy many times.

Feeling a strange surge of motivation, Linebeck fell into a jog. By now, Link had probably read the note and showed it to everyone. Hopefully, they would meet up at Bellum's mansion at some point. Linebeck himself planned to reunite with his adoptive father, tell him about Tetra's plan, and stay home. There was a chance that Link would try and stay with them when he showed up. That gave Linebeck even more motivation.

He found himself surprisingly cheery. The thought of seeing his dad again made him hopeful and excited to return home, and the idea that Link might join them made things even better. Even the idea that Tetra's group might be trying to attack Bellum didn't smother his happiness. He didn't even snap at the kid that stumbled into him, mostly ignoring them.

He remained in the alleyways for most of the first day, his exhausted legs forcing him to stop many times. Linebeck sat against the wall later in the afternoon, sitting in one of the alleyway squares. He had occupied himself with memories and hopeful thoughts and had forgotten about his thirst. His hunger could wait. Linebeck pulled out the water bottle, staring at the contents. Half of the bottle was full, so that would be enough for now and later that night. Linebeck gulped down most of it, leaving about half an inch of water left inside.

He sat for about an hour longer, watching birds, passing kids and animals, and the clouds up ahead. Once satisfied, Linebeck got back on his tired feet and continued on. The longer he walked through the night, the more he became aware of the ache in his heels and knees from his constant walking. He was pushing himself hard but wanted so desperately to get back home as fast as possible, even if it meant bleeding into his socks. As it was now, he was sure that his feet weren't bleeding yet.

The moon was high above Linebeck when he stopped, shaking and tired. With a yawn that forced tears in the corners of his eyes, Linebeck laid in the snow. Perhaps he could sleep just a little bit. He had been walking for over twelve hours. He deserved a small nap. Hopefully, he'd wake early in the morning, and not oversleep.

As he wished, Linebeck woke up early in the morning, but was paranoid about what day it was. He had no way of telling the date, only the time. Hoping that it was the next day, Linebeck set back out on his quest to return home. He didn't recall any dreams.

The fear of running into one of the gangs infected his thoughts early on. He made of point of paying much more attention to his surroundings, avoiding larger groups of adults and other urchins. Linebeck felt his hunger gnawing away at his insides and recalled the fact that he had around one hundred rupees with him. He could totally buy himself some breakfast. Now he just needed to find an orphan-friendly restaurant. One without a rather rude sign in front of it.

It took a much longer time than Linebeck would've preferred to find a good place. Eventually, damn near noon, Linebeck found a small little shop and pushed the door open, flinching at the jangling of the little bell above the door. He stared owlishly at the swaying bell until someone asked, "Are you gonna eat here, son?"

Linebeck whipped around, half-glaring half-staring at the man who had spoken. He nodded silently and peered around the room. It was small and dim, but almost homey. A doorway led back to what Linebeck assumed was a kitchen. The man spoke again. "You should go and take a seat. I'll bring you a menu if you want, providing you can pay for whatever you get." Linebeck nodded, glancing around once more and sitting at the table by the window.

The menu was small, mostly just breakfast foods. It was cheap, but it all sounded more or less good. Linebeck counted out the right amount of money, quietly ordering eggs and sausage, shifting closer to the window as more people entered. The man took his order and his twenty-five rupees, and Linebeck leaned against the wall. He watched the people that passed on the streets. Linebeck hadn't wanted to venture out onto the streets, but it was easier to find places to eat that way.

The food came out quickly, warm. Linebeck nodded, muttering a subtle 'thanks.' He ate in silence, occasionally looking over at the two other people in the building. A teenaged woman sat on the opposite side of the room, and a person with a hood over their features sat in the corner. He ate while staring out the window, glancing around every few seconds. It seemed like the man was the owner of this little place, a younger man looking to be the cook. The younger man had shown up a bit ago, and the two of them seemed to be talking at the front. It wasn't hard for Linebeck to hear what they were saying.

"...worrying. It's nice to help them, but there's so many of them."

The younger man nodded. "Yeah. Were the orphans around on the streets when you were a kid?"

The older man shrugged, glancing at Linebeck for a moment. The boy turned away just in time, then looked back when no one was looking at him. "It's been like this for a long time. I've been hoping that people start a petition to help them, or that one of the city leaders does something. I know that Zelda's tried a few times but hasn't gotten support from the others. Ganondorf just doesn't care about much other than doing his job."

The younger man nodded, then asked, "Do you think Bellum cares about helping?"

The older man laughed harshly. "I doubt our dear Warden even has a heart."

Linebeck lost his appetite but had at least finished most of his food. He slid off the chair and left the restaurant quickly, slamming the door behind him and regretting it moments later. It wasn't like he was yelled at for it, it just implied that he was angry with that they said. He was, but he didn't need them knowing that. He trudged through the snow for the next few hours, stopping at the sun started going down. It was a good thing that he got a proper meal. It helped him walk a bit longer.

He rummaged through the messenger bag and then his coat pockets, holding out his heirloom knife. The gems glittered in the later afternoon sunlight. He'd never actually used it like a key. Inspecting it, Linebeck wondered if Bellum had ever used it like the skeleton key that it was. Perhaps he was the one who enchanted it or had commissioned someone. But he certainly knew how to use it.

Working as the Warden and the leader of the city's law-enforcers must've required his adoptive dad to get some locked doors opened. Perhaps he even used it for a weapon. But it was definitely useful. The more he thought about it, the prouder Linebeck felt about inheriting it. At the least, he had used it as a way to better survive and had retaken it when it was taken. It was his, and no one was going to take it. Never again.

Putting the knife back where it belonged in his pocket, Linebeck stood back up, straightening his wrinkled and dirty coat. Bellum's schedule, Bellum's schedule, his dad's schedule... He'd be near the prison tonight. He did rounds for about an hour, around the prison. If he was lucky, Linebeck would run into him in the hour that he was circling the prison. Yeah, that would be his plan.

Linebeck continued through the alleyways, now heading through streets as shortcuts. He only checked the map a few times, but seemed to instinctively know where to go, what to do. A few people looked at him, a few adults staring, but he was used to it. Adults always stared at the urchins; other orphans were always wary when others of their kind went near. Linebeck now felt simple determination to go home. Nothing else. Aside from thoughts of returning, thoughts of Link surfaced in his mind.

The kid. His little brother. They were going to meet again, right? They'd better. Link practically kept him in line and made things better. He'd most likely been broken up when he discovered that Linebeck had left, but that would also lead him to try and meet him again. If he didn't Linebeck was going to try his best to track him down.

Night fell faster than he expected, and Linebeck realized just how cold he was when he tripped and fell face-first into the deep snow. The snow seeped into his clothes and melted nearly instantly, soaking Linebeck to his skin. Shivering almost painfully, Linebeck picked himself back up, teeth chattering. How had he not noticed how cold he was? It hurt. He was shivering violently, but still pushed himself on. If he got home, he'd be warm. Yeah. That's what he needed.

Another hour, then another. He couldn't be too far from the prison now. Linebeck turned a corner, hoping for some luck, and almost screamed in relief. The prison, in all its intimidating glory. Bellum was nowhere to be seen, but it was the hour of his patrol time. Linebeck, still shivering and miserable, walked out from the alleyway up to the dark building, looking for Bellum. He was tempted to call out, but that could catch the attention of undesirables.

Shivering and waiting, Linebeck glanced side to side for a few minutes before seeing a tall, slim figure turn the corner. They stared at it each other. It was too dark to see what they looked like, but Linebeck stumbled forward a bit, and the closer he got, the more he could see. Finally. Feeling like a small child, Linebeck stopped, trembling now from more than the cold. "...Dad?" His voice cracked.

Bellum went still, tilting his head to the side. "...Linebeck? Wh-what are you doing here? I-I..." He seemed unsure of what to say, looking around.

Linebeck stumbled forward a bit, feeling tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. "Dad? Dad, I wanna go home." He hugged himself tightly. Bellum blinked, walking closer. Linebeck took in a shaky inhale. "P-please? I-I'm sorry, I was so stupid, so, so goddamn stupid, I'm so sorry, I just wanna go home, I-I miss you..."

Tears were streaming down his face now. He was sobbing from the regret and guilt of leaving, the stuff he'd endured in the streets, the dread that he couldn't go home, and when Bellum kneeled down and tightly embraced him, he found himself sobbing from the relief and bliss of going home. Linebeck wept into Bellum's shoulder, hugging him back, stumbling through apologies and stories while his dad gently stroked his hair, murmuring to him.

Once he calmed down enough, Linebeck took another shaky inhale, pulling back slightly. Bellum was smiling weakly but had tears of his own in his eyes. "Hey, hey. Calm down, ok? I missed you too, I missed you too. It's been awful seeing you and not being able to talk with you properly." He brushed away his tears. "Yes, you can go home if you want. It's so cold tonight... you're shaking and sopping wet." Bellum's hands rest on Linebeck's shoulders, looking him over. "Let's go home, ok? I can skip this shift. You're going to freeze to death out here."

Linebeck nodded, rubbing away his own tears and allowing his dad to pick him up in his arms without a protest. He shifted and wrapped his arms around Bellum's neck, nuzzling into his shoulder. "It's so cold," he whispered. "I wanna go home and sleep in front of the fireplace tonight. Can I do that?"

"Yeah. That'd be a good idea," Bellum murmured as a response, walking through the dark streets. "We should talk."

Linebeck nodded, then muttered, "I've got some pictures. I picked up some pictures that I've taken while out here. I wanna show them to you. You might like them. I-I remembered that you took pictures of me every year, so I did it for you. And I took more pictures. I've got pictures of Link, too. Can we-"

Bellum shushed him. "Hey, just be quiet, ok? You're tired enough."

Linebeck nodded, then softly said, "Can I fall asleep?" His talking was staring to be slurred, and he noticed that his breathing was shallow. "Hey, uh, Dad?"

"Mhm? What is it?"

"I think I might be sick. W-what do you think?"

"Yeah, you're sleeping in front of the fireplace," Bellum murmured, turning a corner and seeing the mansion. "Try not to fall asleep, ok?"

"Mmmmhm... mmmmkay."


	29. Chapter 29

Link hugged his knees to his chest, trying to warm himself. Besides him, Ciela glanced over at him. "Are you ok?"

"...Just cold."

The young woman paused, looking away. "...We should get there by tomorrow morning. Sorry that we took so long to get started..."

Link shook his head. "It's ok." He hugged Rainbakku to his chest. "We're at least on the way there."

It was the day after Link had shown them the note. The boy had advocated for going to the mansion right away, but that required Oshus and the siblings to leave their posts at the library, as the kid couldn't go alone. They had to close down the library, but also had to finish up any unfinished work they had done. To make it up to Link, they told him about their route and when they'd leave and reassured him that at least Linebeck would be safe.

Leaf had finished his jobs first and walked Link through how they were going to get there, and how they'd get there, and that they'd try to stay for a few days. Link waited patiently for him to finished, then bombarded the poor young man with a slew of questions. HE asked if he could stay with Linebeck, he asked more about how Bellum was like, how long it would take to get there, more and more about nearly pointless questions. Once the sisters finished, Leaf handed the questions off to them.

They, of course, had a lunch break that lasted about an hour, and Oshus finished up his jobs later in the afternoon than Link would've wanted. The kid got more and more anxious about it as the day wore on and was clearly annoyed by their plan of leaving the next day. He spent the night worrying and losing sleep until he passed out near morning, Rainbakku clutched to his chest as he'd had it all day. In the morning. Oshus told him that they had contracted a wagon driver, and that they'd show up an hour before noon. Link waited restlessly, pacing and talking with the triplets.

Once the wagon arrived, Link rushed out into the snow, the library staff trailing behind. Link hopped onto the back of the wagon, ignoring the driver's confused expression until Oshus explained where they were going. The siblings joined Link first, then Oshus, and then they were off.

It was now late in the afternoon, and they were almost halfway there. Link talked with the library staff, mostly to Ciela, who sat at his side. Neri was next to her sister, and Leaf was across from him, with Oshus, who barely spoke. Link held out his plushie again, looking over the raggedy little stuffed animal. He was grateful that Linebeck left behind the plushie. That night, Link hadn't fallen asleep with it, but woke up with Linebeck gone, and Rainbakku in his arms. He hadn't seen the note until he fully realized that Linebeck was gone.

He'd need to ask Linebeck why he didn't take him with him. Link could've made the journey. He didn't have to go alone. After a little bit, Link asked, "When do you think we'll get there?"

Neri shrugged, leaning over to get a look at him. "We're not sure. Probably early, early tomorrow morning. We'll have to stop for food, obviously. It's starting to get late, so we'll definitely stop in about an hour." She glanced around for a moment, then back at Link. "Sorry this is taking so long."

Link shook his head. "It's ok."

* * *

"I-Is it a-almost midnight?" Linebeck pulled the blanket tighter around himself, shifting closer to the crackling fire in the fireplace.

"Probably," Bellum muttered. "How are you feeling now?" He sat down next to Linebeck. They were in the library of Bellum's mansion, the walls lined with bookcases, a few couches and armchairs around the brick fireplace. All lights were out, the flickering flames lighting the area where Bellum and Linebeck were sitting. "I don't want you getting hypothermia." He rubbed the boy's back.

Linebeck grunted. "Whatever. At l-least I'm not shivering anymore." He sniffed. "I think I've got a cold, though. Can I talk now? I still wanna talk about... stuff." He leaned back and laid on his back on the floor, looking up at Bellum. "Can I? Or is it too late?"

Bellum nodded, sitting back slightly. "Yeah, sure. Do you need your bag? I left it in your room."

Linebeck blinked. "My room? Damn, I almost forgot about that. How much did you change it?"

"There's about an inch of dust on everything. That's the main change. I haven't touched it too much. I'll go get the bag if you want it." Linebeck thought for a bit, then nodded, rolling onto his side. "Right," Bellum murmured, getting up. "Give me a moment." He left the room silently.

The kid pondered the ceiling for a moment, then glanced at his coat, scarf, and overshirt laying on the couch. They were damp, so Bellum had him take them off to dry. His socks were taken off, too, along with his shoes. His other clothes were wet, but he didn't want to take them off yet. He doubted he'd be able to get any clothes from home. It had been four years. He shifted in the clothes and the blanket. His pants were more wet than his white shirt, and grimier. Not saying that his white shirt was spotless. It was cleaner than anything else, though. As far as he knew, his dad hadn't found the crap in his coat pockets either.

Bellum returned with the damaged messenger bag, tossing it next to Linebeck. "This thing is pretty light. What do you keep in here?" He sat back down as Linebeck sat up, drawing it closer to him.

"I don't really know," Linebeck muttered. He held the bag open and let the spare money, Link's knife, the extra socks, and the paper and pencil. The two of them stared at the knife, and Linebeck explained, "I gave that to Link recently, so he could defend himself. That's what I used before getting the heirloom back from Tetra." He paused. "The, uh, reason I came home, aside from guilt and homesickness, was because Tetra's group had been planning to attack you. It's mostly a theory, but we've got enough evidence."

Bellum barely looked surprised. "Sounds about right. Who told you about that?"

Pushing everything back in the bag, Linebeck shrugged. "Link and I went back to the library since they sent us a letter to do so. The old man told me about Tetra's plan, and I ended up telling them about you being my dad. ...Sorry."

Bellum shook his head. "No, no, it's fine. At least the old man already knew. His staff are more of a problem, and Link shouldn't be a problem." He reached back and dragged Linebeck's stained blue coat over to him. "And this is a little heavier than a coat should be. What's in here?" He gave it back to Linebeck, who smiled faintly, then sneezed.

"I, honestly, don't know what's even in here either. Lemme look through..." He dug through the pockets, taking out and holding the heirloom knife. "Look! We got it back. Did you know it was a skeleton key? I mean, I assume you already knew..."

Bellum smiled, looking over the sleek knife. "Oh, so you figured it out. There aren't too many opportunities to use it." He frowned at the sight of the lighter. "What's that for?"

"Warmth. Used it to light a candle." Linebeck proudly showed Bellum his detailed map, letting him take it before digging through the pockets. He pulled out a matchbox, a hairpin, and a pack of cigarettes. They both stared at it, and Linebeck contemplated throwing it in the fire. "It's not open," He started. "I was planning to use it for trading. If you wanted, you could check. It's full and not touched. Promise."

Bellum sighed, taking the little box. "Guess I can't blame you; you need whatever you can get out there. But I'm keeping these." Linebeck simply shrugged, putting the coat down. "Anything else you want to show me? There was another bag in the messenger, I left it in the kitchen."

"You could've left it in the bag," Linebeck muttered. "That's what I wanted to show you." He started to get up, but Bellum kept him sitting. "What?"

"I'll go get it," Bellum murmured, leaving again.

Linebeck yawned, laying back down. It didn't take long for Bellum to return, holding the small paper bag that Linebeck had gotten the day before. It held the pictures and the camera, but his dad probably didn't know that. Linebeck took it from Bellum once it was close enough, and flipped it upside-down, letting the camera and pictures tumble out. "I remember that you'd take a picture of the two of us each year. You're missing the past four years, right?"

Bellum frowned. "...I'd thought you'd forgotten about that. But, yeah. I've kept the pictures upside-down, though..." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Couldn't stand to look at them knowing that you'd left because of me."

"Wait, no, no, no!" Linebeck ignored the pictures and hugged Bellum. "It's my fault! I was stupid and ignorant, and once I figured it out, I was too stubborn and kept causing us pain. It's not your fault! It's just part of your job."

Bellum shook his head, but hugged Linebeck back. "...But it is my fault as well. I never told you about the true nature of my job, and I kept you so... sheltered from the rest of the city. Never really let you outside. My damn paranoia about being found out... Really screwed up your chances to properly experience things." He took in a shaky breath. "Anyways, let me see the pictures. I'm interested to see how your photography skills are."

Linebeck nodded, backing off and looking through the pictures. "I got a few random pictures. Here." He handed the miscellaneous photos to Bellum, who looked through them with clear interest. "Do you think they're cool? Do you?"

Bellum chuckled. "Yeah, they're cool. Good shots. The lighting could be better, but you were living on the streets for a bit." He set them aside. "And the rest?"

Hesitating before picking up the next ones, Linebeck shuffled the pictures in chronological order, then showed them to Bellum. "I've got one for each year, and I got one of Link this time. This should fill in your blank spots. I'll keep the one of Link if you don't want it."

"I'll think about it," Bellum murmured, lethargically taking the pictures. "Thanks... for... filling in the blanks. I've missed doing the yearly pictures." He looked them over, leaning back against the couch. "I can't believe you managed to take pictures of me without me knowing." He paused, smiling weakly. "You've grown so much over these four years."

Linebeck frowned. "Not much."

"Yes, you have. You're so much taller, your hair is a lot longer, but you've also got some nasty circles under your eyes. Have you been missing out on a lot of sleep? I hope you've been getting enough."

Linebeck smiled at Bellum's fretting. "I've spent the last four years living off trash and pond water, and you're worried about my sleeping habits?"

"I am! Sleep is very important for you," Bellum protested, peering at Linebeck. "I know you had trouble sleeping when you were younger, but I really hope it's not full-blown insomnia."

"Probably is, to be fair," Linebeck muttered. He crawled over to Bellum and sat next to him, leaning against his shoulder at the pictures. The Bellum pictures had little variation, whereas the pictures of Linebeck himself showed the passage of time; his hair getting longer, the circles under his eyes darker, differing clothing. The one picture of Link had the only smile, and the kid's optimistic expression battled the darker tones of the other pictures.

Bellum stared at the pictures before setting them down, and hugged Linebeck again. "I seriously can't express how happy I am to see you again. It'll take a long time to dust off your room and everything, so you might as well stay out here for tonight. I can make something to help you sleep if you want."

Linebeck shrugged. "Ok. Sure. It'll be nice to get some sleep. I've missed you." He shifted to the side as Bellum left once again and stared into the fire while he waited. It was a strange shift, going from the cold and uncaring city alleyways, back to the warm home where he had been raised and loved. But it felt like Link was missing from the equation, even though he was never with the two of them until recently. Linebeck still saw him as a little brother, and sincerely hoped that the kid would meet back up with him.

His dad returned with a mug full of pale yellow liquid. He handed the mug to Linebeck, who stared at it with clear distaste. "This shit looks like heated-up piss."

"It does," Bellum muttered with an eyebrow raised, "But you can suck it up and get some sleep. I'm sure you've eaten worse crap out of garbage bags."

"Touche," Linebeck whispered, taking a sip of the liquid. "Aaaah, it's hot." He took another sip, wincing, and blew on it a little. He drank it in small sips, taking his time, well aware that Bellum was watching him. Once he finished, he handed the mug back. "Done."

Bellum took it back with a chuckle. "Wonderful. Good for you. Get comfortable, I'll put this away." He left for the fourth time, and Linebeck watched him leave. He was still wearing the suit he wore for work but removed the armor. Linebeck personally thought that the armor was badass but appreciated that he took it off.

Linebeck had curled back up into the blanket when Bellum returned, laying on his side on the floor. Linebeck greeted him with a grunt. "You look sleepy," Bellum said as he sat down, shrugging off his coat. "I'll probably sleep on the couch for tonight. That was I can hear you if you get up?"

"Making sure I don't leave again, or making sure that you can check on me if I more or something?"

"Dunno," Bellum responded, taking off his shoes and staring into the fire. "I could put out the fire if it gets too hot for you."

Linebeck chuckled. "Hah, I've spent the last few years sleeping in freezing cold shelters. I'd love it if I catch fire while I'm sleeping. It's fine." He shifted a bit, pulling the blanket over his head. "It's nice to be in a warm place. Do you ever worry that the books would catch fire?"

"Nope," Bellum said as he picked Linebeck up. The kid struggled slightly, then sat up when Bellum laid him on the couch. "I think you'll like it better if you slept on the couch. I'll stay on the ground tonight. At least it's carpet."

Linebeck shook his head. "You can stay on the couch, too. Please?"

Bellum tilted his head to the side. "You're fine with that?"

"Please." Linebeck laid back down, watching Bellum.

Bellum's discolored eyes met the green, and he sat on the edge of the couch. "Wouldn't hurt to stick with you for the first night back." Linebeck shifted forward, and Bellum laid behind him. "Isn't this how you and Link were on the bench a few nights ago? I hope you used that stuff I gave you well."

Linebeck turned back to Bellum, shrugging. "I mean, we used the food like food, read the books, ended up planning to use the socks as gloves but never got around to it." He pressed against Bellum as he hugged him, and asked, "How often do you have nightmares? I have nightmares a lot."

"I... don't really get nightmares," Bellum muttered. "But it's not a good idea to talk about nightmares just as you're about to fall asleep." He smiled at Linebeck. "It's good to see you again, to be able to actually talk to you again."

Linebeck nodded slowly and listened to the crackle of the fire until it stopped, and he fell asleep.

* * *

The door creaked open slowly, and Linebeck peered in the dark room. Bellum was behind him, looking not even a little professional, in an untucked dress shirt and some wrinkled slacks. Linebeck was still in his dirty street clothes. Linebeck looked around and jogged in, turning on the lamp on the table, lighting up the room. He recognized it as his old bedroom, and Bellum was right; dust covered everything.

The bed was tidy, the framed pictures lined up neatly on the table. The door to the closet was shut, and the small bookcase's contents were neatly organized. What caught Linebeck's attention was the little ginger cat plushie sitting almost proudly in the middle of the bed, facing out at the open door. "You kept him," Linebeck numbly said. "You kept Copernicus."

Bellum laughed. "Of course, I did! He was too important to you to throw away. Even if you never came back, I wasn't going to throw it away. Too many good memories."

Linebeck nodded, running over and picking the stuffed animal off the blankets, brushing the dust off the fluffy plushie. "Y'know, Link found a little dog plushie out on the streets about a month or two back. He ended up naming it Rainbakku." He looked up at Bellum when he chuckled. "What?"

Bellum shook his head. "It's nothing. I just think he chose a good name for it. Anyways, how about we spend some time cleaning this up? We can get you new clothes and stuff later." He strode into the room with his son, glancing around in the gloom. "I think I might swap out some of your books, too. What kind of books do you like now?"

Linebeck thought for a moment, petting Copernicus. "I like adventure. Lots of pirate and over-seas stuff is cool. A little bit of horror is ok, too."

Bellum smiled, crouching down in front of the books. "Huh. Not much of a change, though I'll let you take out what you don't like any more." He pulled out a few small books. "Horror is new, though. What made you interested in that? Last time I checked; you were scared of your own shadow."

Linebeck's face flushed. "Aw, come on. I checked out a few horror books at the library and got into horror." He bent down to look at the books Bellum took out. "Oh, ok. I didn't like those too much, anyways. Horror is cool through, 'cuz you can usually find some really creative and twisted shit." He stood back up, peering around. "It's nice to be home. I wonder how Link is doing."

Bellum shrugged. "He's fine if you left him with the library. The old man is... nice. His staff? Goddesses, I hate those three. Obnoxious as hell. Well, at least Ciela is. We hate each other and that's fine. What's your opinion on them?"

"Ciela sucks, Neri is nosy, Leaf is tolerable."

"Sounds about right," Bellum said with a smile. He got to his feet. "I'll think of something to do with these-" He was cut off by the doorbell. Linebeck almost forgot about it. He hadn't heard one in months. It was still in the morning, so neither were very sure who would be at the door. Bellum tossed the books on the table. "Wait in here. For all we know, it might be Zelda. I'm worried she's close to figuring out the relationship between us." He hesitated, then smiled. "What are the chances that it's Tetra and her group of gremlins?"

Linebeck laughed at the word 'gremlins' but was worried all the same. He followed Bellum back out into the hall and waited around the corner as his dad walked up to the front door. He undid the lock and pushed the door open. It took the both of them a few moments to process who was at the door.

Bellum spoke first. "...Oshus? The hell are you doing here, and with your staff? What...?"

Linebeck walked out from the corner, peering around Bellum. Link did the same, peering around Oshus, then ran into the house, tackling Linebeck in a tight hug. "I missed you, you big jerk! Why'd you leave?! And without me!" Linebeck hugged Link back, uncaring that everyone was staring at them.

Linebeck ruffled Link's hair and pushed him away a bit. "Sorry, I'm so sorry for leaving you behind, but I wanted to get here as quickly as possible! Thanks for coming, though." Link refused to let go of him, burying his face in Linebeck's chest. Linebeck glanced up at Bellum, as if asking for help. His dad only glanced back at Oshus.

While the kids were hugging, Bellum leaned out of the door, hands on each side of the doorframe. "Anything you guys want? Oshus, I honestly don't appreciate your and your staff's visit as much as my son does. You can leave if you're just here to drop off his friend."

Oshus shrugged. "I was thinking we'd stay for a little bit. I assume the lad told you about Tetra's plan? It is a theory, but a believable one." He stepped forward, Bellum flinching back. "I apologize for the unexpected visit. But I would also like to see how Linebeck is getting used to living here again. I did keep an eye on the boy while he was out there." He took another step forward, Bellum backing up again.

The Warden winced, glancing back at the boys, who were staring expectantly at him. "They're not going to leave unless you let them in, Dad," Linebeck said, tilting his head to the side. Link nodded.

With a sigh, Bellum stood aside. "You guys are leaving tonight. If you want food, you're getting it yourself. Don't leave mine or Linebeck's sights. The kid is fine, though. And you, Ciela," Bellum snapped, glaring beyond Oshus at the yellow-haired woman. "Screw you, you don't go anywhere without us allowing you."

The young woman looked insulted but entered the mansion with the rest of her siblings and Oshus. She flipped Bellum off and got the same gesture from both father and son. Ciela saw Linebeck, and scoffed. "Well, this explains his vocabulary." She sulked behind the rest of the group, and Bellum slammed the front door, locking it once again.

He exchanged a glance with Linebeck and quickly followed the library staff. With Link finally pried off, Linebeck followed, the younger kid clinging to his hand. There was no point in shoving him away. It was Linebeck own fault for deserting him, it was only fair that Link got to cling to him for a bit. He usually clung to him in the first place, anyways.

"How'd you guys get here so fast?" he asked Link once they entered the kitchen.

"We took a wagon," Link answered, hugging Linebeck's arm. "Took us a long time to get it, though. I brought Rainbakku! They're keeping him in a bag they brought, though. When'd you get here?"

Linebeck shrugged. "Last night. I spent pretty much all of both days walking." He glanced around the kitchen. The library staff was all sitting at the kitchen table, Bellum sitting on the counter, watching them. Linebeck inched closer to the hall. He could see out the window Bellum was next to. It was snowing lightly. "We can talk more somewhere else. I don't want to stick around the others."

Link nodded. "Can I get Rainbakku first?"

"Yeah, sure."

Link smiled and let go of Linebeck, heading over to the table and grabbing at a small bag that Neri had been carrying. He withdrew the little stuffed dog and returned to Linebeck. "Ok! Where are we going?"

Linebeck shrugged, hands in his pockets, walking out into the hallway. Link followed. As far as Linebeck knew about the layout of the house, the library was the dead center, what the hallways were the perimeter of. The kitchen, bathroom, living room, office, and dining room were all on the first floor, the second housing Linebeck and Bellum's bedrooms, as well as a guest bedroom and a few closets.

Linebeck led Link around to the staircase and the two of them went upstairs, going from the pale tile to the dark carpet. Link stared around at the occasional paintings and lamps, a few tables with upside-down pictures. Linebeck pushed open the door to his dust bedroom, turning on the lamp as Link sneezed. "This is my old room," Linebeck explained. He picked Copernicus back up off his bed. "And this is Copernicus."

Link nodded, peering around the room before walking up to Linebeck. "Oh, cool! You still have him. I thought he was gone." He switched Rainbakku to one hand and pat Copernicus on the head. "He's cute!" He kept petting the plushie while looking around the room. "It's really dusty in here."

"Obviously. I've been gone for four years; Dad wasn't really using this for anything."

"I guess it's nice taht he left it alone." Giving Copernicus a final pat on the head, Link trotted over to the window with the curtains drawn, pushing one of them aside to peek out. "Oh! It's started to snow."

"It's a good thing you got here before that, then. I almost caught a cold last night, but I think it's gone." Linebeck set Copernicus back down and sat on his bed, brushing off more of the dust. "It's good to be home."

Link backed away from the window and sat next to Linebeck. "I'm still really mad that you left without me. Why did you have to leave me behind?"

The kid glared at Linebeck, but he could tell that he didn't really mean it. It was a good attempt to seem truly angry, though. "Sorry. But I just wanted to get here as fast as possible! I wanted to make sure that I got here before Tetra, because we still think they're attacking, and I want to warn him in time. And... I just wanted to get home. I didn't bring you along because I was walking constantly unless I had to stop, or unless I needed to eat. You would've slowed me down since you have less stamina, and what if you didn't want to come? I didn't want to drag you back across the city in two days against your will." Linebeck sighed and fell back, laying on the sheets and staring at the ceiling. "Sorry."

Link laid down with him, glancing to the side at Copernicus. He set Rainbakku next to him, as if they were sitting together. "Look," he said. Linebeck looked over at the two plushies. "They're friends," Link announced, pushing the two of them together. "Best friends. What now?"

"Dunno. The others are sticking around until later tonight, but I'm not sure about you. We could just hang out, explore the house, talk. You decide. For once, we can relax and have some fun together without worrying about being hurt."

Hours passed quickly while Link and Linebeck talked, going from Linebeck's room, the guest room, the closets, peeking in Bellum's room, and heading down to the library. Linebeck showed Link a number of books, and they created a pile for later reading. They avoided the others for the most part, not counting times when Bellum checked up on them or Oshus asked Link a few questions.

They scarcely ate, still used to skipping meals on the streets. At one point, they took an apple from the kitchen and cut it up, refusing any food offered to them. The three siblings more or less ignored them, and Oshus glanced their way a few times, while Bellum was constantly switching his gaze between his guests and the kids. That group moved from the kitchen to the library, and then back to the kitchen. Link wanted to spend more time with them, but clearly didn't want to be separated from Linebeck again.

It got late very quickly. Link and Linebeck were sitting on Linebeck's bed, going through some old and dusty books. They had the curtains drawn to keep an eye on what time it was, and the snow was coming down more than ever. At one point, an hour ago, they heard Bellum begrudgingly explain that if the snow got bad enough, they'd have to stay the night. Link didn't have a problem with that, but Linebeck just wanted the library staff to leave.

"We'll look at these in the morning," Linebeck said, setting the books on his desk. "Let's see what the others are doing." Link nodded, and they headed downstairs. Link had refused to remove his beanie, or any of his street clothes despite how much warmer it was inside. They jogged around the hallway again, peering into the kitchen, standing just around the corner. The hallway lights were off, save for a few lamps, but the kitchen was fully illuminated. Bellum waved at them when they walked in, a glass that was obviously filled with alcohol in hand. The library staff were playing a card game.

"Whatcha guys doing?" Link asked, holding Lineebeck's hand and trailing after the older kid. He waited for a response when the older kid led him over to Bellum.

Finally, Ciela answered, "...Last time I checked, we're playing canasta."

"What's that?"

"Card game," Leaf said, barely looking up.

"How do you play it?"

"Complicated," Neri murmured.

Link pouted, and Linebeck got up on the counter next to Bellum. "Who's winning?" the boy asked his dad.

Bellum took a sip of his drink. "I have no idea. I know jack shit about this game. I've really only played casino card games. Gambling." He glanced behind him out the window. "We've seen no sign of Tetra's group, so I assume I'll be fine."

Linebeck nodded, leaning against Bellum. Link had let go of his hand and was watching the card game more closely. It looked like Ciela and Oshus were on a team, Neri and Leaf on their own. Did canasta have teams? He wouldn't know, and neither would Bellum. They watched for a few minutes, not much being said. It was boring to watch people playing cards without the sound of trash talking.

Just as night fell, a rock sailed through the window besides Linebeck, shattering the window and spraying glass shards all around the kitchen. The rock clattered on the ground, the library staff leaping to the feet in shock. Link just and yelped, backing away from the mess. Bellum pulled Linebeck away from the window as quickly as he could, but a few larger shards of glass had imbedded themselves in his arm and leg.

"What the hell-" Bellum growled, sliding off the counter to get a look through the window, He kept an hand on Linebeck's shoulder, the kid groaning and trying to get a look at his badly bleeding cuts. At least most of the glass was large and visible. Bellum glared out into the whirling snow that hid his mansion courtyard. Link rushed over to Linebeck, the rest of the library staff not doing much of anything. It was dark outside, but Bellum was able to see seven fleeing figures. "Goddamnit!"

He quickly looked over Linebeck, and pulled out a few of the pieces of glass. "Hey, you ok? Looks like your damn theory was right."

Linebeck winced and flinched away but allowed Bellum to keep removing the glass. "S-seems like it." He leaned forward a bit, gritting his teeth.

"Stay in here, preferably in the library, I'll go out to check on things." He tousled Linebeck's hair, turning to Oshus. "Keep an eye on them, get the glass out of his cuts. Link, help him get to the library." The younger kid nodded. Linebeck got off the counter, leaning against Link. Once he was sure that they would be fine, Bellum backed away from the window and ran to the front door. This was going to be a clear problem.


	30. Chapter 30

It was dark out, and even harder to see with the snow. Bellum stood with his back to the front door, wishing he could see the lamps in the courtyard. If he could turn them on, it would make things easier. At least that meant that the urchins couldn't see him. And he knew his courtyard better than they did.

It wasn't a large courtyard, but it surrounded his house, caged in by the iron fence. The grass was blanketed under snow, hedges with a few inches on top. There were the occasional flower bushes, but his courtyard wasn't too special. Bellum walked out a few feet, glancing to the side and seeing the light pouring through the shattered window. That was going to be a pain in the ass to fix. These kids were going to be thrown in the prison when he found them, no doubt.

Bellum trudged out to the gate and promptly closed it. It creaked loud enough that he could hear it over the howling wind from across the courtyard. If he was lucky, the kids had heard him, and would be nearing him. Would make things easier.

Hopefully, back in the house, Oshus and his staff were taking good care of Linebeck. Link would've wanted them to help, anyways. He hoped that Linebeck had the glass shards removed quickly, his cuts bandaged. If he finished this up quick enough, he could check back up on Linebeck. At the sound of footsteps in the snow, Bellum whipped around.

One of the smaller kids tried to sneak up on him, knife in hand. Bellum's hand went to the back of his belt. He usually kept handcuffs on him, only three, though. He could hook up three kids to the fence, but the other four... He and the kid stared each other down, and Bellum hissed, "You wanna screw with me, dipshit? Well, you've pissed me off, so here I am."

The kid hesitated, then ran at Bellum. It wasn't difficult to side-step him and slap a pair of cuffs on him, the other side on the fence. The kid cursed aloud, dropping the knife, now stuck to the fence. One down. Perhaps if he got to Tetra first, the rest of her cronies would disperse. It made sense that she was the one who threw the rock. She was a bold little bitch. Braver than her sister, but not as smart or tactical.

Bellum started to head to the left, fists clenched. It was stupid to have gone out without putting on his armor, and it was getting cold, but he could deal with it. No shapes were moving in the gloom, but a peek in the window told him that the three siblings were following what he was doing through the windows, watching him. As much as they irritated him, he appreciated having someone keep watch for him. Oshus and Link were probably in the library with Linebeck.

There were footsteps to Bellum's side, and he whipped around. No one was in sight, but he clenched his fists tightly. Either they were screwing with him or were actually sneaking around. Both made sense. He trudged into the middle of the courtyard, peering around in the snow. His eyesight was better than most Hylians, he could spot them quick enough. Sure enough, another smaller shape ran at him, and Bellum sidestepped him again, but the kid was too fast for him to grab him.

He darted around Bellum and managed to cut him on the leg, but Bellum seized his arm and got the handcuffs on him. The boy cursed and tried to get away, but Bellum was easily stronger than him and dragged him over to the fence. After hooking him to the fence, Bellum dodged a punch and picked the kid in the shins. "Calm down, you little shit."

The kid spat at him, but the Warden only scoffed at him and stalked away. These kids were barely worth dealing with. A dark shape sprinted near Bellum, and he chased after them.

The cold was starting to get to him. It was hard to see, he was shivering, and these kids had hurt his son. Bellum was getting more and more pissed off by the moment. This next kid was older, it was easy to tell. The snow was slowing him down, leaving tracks behind him, but that was irrelevant. He pushed past the well-trimmed bushed, ignoring the lamps.

The kid was sprinting ahead of him, turning the corner so sharply that he half expected him to run into the snowy brick wall. Bellum sprinted after him, and found himself faced with the remaining five kids, three of them taller than the other two. Each had a knife of their own, slowly working on subtly circling Bellum. It clearly wasn't working, and Bellum dashed at the closest tall kid, getting the last pair of handcuffs on his wrist, dragging him over the fence as quickly as he could before the rest of the group would attack.

Before he got too far, the smaller kinds lunged at Bellum, the first dodged, but the second stabbed Bellum in the upper arm. Cursing, Bellum kicked away the kid who stabbed him, hooking the other half of the handcuffs to the fence. He groaned when one of the urchins stabbed him in the hip, ripping through his clothing and nearly reaching bone. He whipped around, dislodging the knife. "Y-you little shits-" He cut himself off when one of the taller kids rushed at him again.

He sidestepped it again, but the kid swiftly redirected himself and forced Bellum to hold up his arms to protect himself. The blade sliced through his sleeves and bloodied his forearms, but he prepared himself to swing a punch when the urchin backed up. In the whirling snow, Bellum saw the other three shapes circling, no one in the windows. He was just about backed up to the fence and was dearly hoping that no one outside was watching.

He punched at the boy but missed when the little shit dodged and stepped towards him, thrusting the blade of his jagged knife into Bellum's left eye. Pain- no, it was pure, unadulterated, agony, explored in his mind, spreading through his body. A whine forcing itself up his throat escaped Bellum's mouth in a tortured roar. His vision went blurry, barely aware that his vision was now skewed. He stared at the snow below him for a moment, dimly aware of the blood seeping from the pulsing wound, the thick, purple fluid dripping and falling into the snow, the unnatural blood melting the snow it touched.

Something in his mind- his inhibitions, perhaps- snapped, the pain and shock ripping it out. Another roar escaped his lips, less of pain and more of raw rage, this time. The kids jumped back, and Bellum dashed at the kid that stabbed him, his hand finding the kid's throat. His fingernails dug into the orphan's skin, and Bellum pushed him through the snow, numb to the kid's clawing at his wrist and strangled whines. Bellum shoved him against the wall, holding him up above the snow a few inches. He was aware of nothing but his pain, his need for revenge, and all of his pent-up anger boiling over in a burning torrent.

His fist collided with the kid's face, and the other three started pulling at his clothes. They made him stagger, but his grip was one of iron. With the next punch, he knew it'd leave a black eye. The cold was making him shiver, perhaps it was the blood loss, or the rage. Broken nose. One of the kids behind him stabbed him in the thigh. The next punch knocked the kid out, and Bellum tossed him to the side. He whipped around and got a cut on the chest, and the kids scrambled away from him. He recognized the three of them as Gonzo, Niko, and Tetra. The main three.

Arms wrapped around Bellum from behind, snapping him out of his bloody rage. He wildly looked around, stopping his blurry gaze on Linebeck. "W-why a-are you out h-here..." He took in a shaky inhale. "I told you to stay in-inside... where its s-safe..."

Linebeck shook his head, staring distressfully at the knife protruding from Bellum's eye. "What... happened...?"

The crack in his voice broke Bellum's heart. He ignored the attackers to smile weakly and rub Linebeck's back for a moment. "I'll be o-ok... you shouldn't b-be here..."

Linebeck returned the smile, then buried his face in Bellum's jacket. He was shaking, and his shirt was still clearly bloodstained. "I-I wanna help you...!"

"Seems like y-you've got no c-choice..." Bellum hissed as another spike of pain spread around his body. The three kids were circling them again, and Bellum noticed something dripping from Tetra's knife. Worst case scenario- poison. Linebeck was still clinging to him and shivering, but that gave him more motivation to fight back. If anything, the fact that he now had to protect him would make him fight even hard, paired with the agony and fury fighting for control over his reasoning.

Niko ran at him first. Bellum shoved Linebeck away and they let Niko pick between them, and the kid chose to go up against Linebeck. The Warden was stuck against the other two. Linebeck could fight well enough, and Bellum was a monster both literally and in his own rights. They'd be fine, providing that Bellum didn't bleed out from his many cuts. His strange blood was seeping out and melting the snow it landed near. He turned away from Linebeck to face the pair of urchins he up against.

Gonzo attacked him first, then Tetra followed up. Their attacks Bellum could recognize as mimicking phantom movements. They seemed to have trained themselves on legitimate fighting styles. Bellum found himself stumbling around in the deep snow, bleeding and panting, trying to keep an eye on Linebeck as well. Only Tetra's knife was poisoned. She was faster, but Gonzo landed more hits before Bellum knocked his knife from his hands.

Before he could smile about his small victory, Gonzo socked Bellum in the chest. Damn, that kid was strong. It took all of Bellum's attention to dodge Tetra's slash at his side and kicked Gonzo to the snow. Where were the others? Weren't they supposed to be watching Linebeck? How'd he get out? Did they let him? Didn't look like they were still watching...

Behind him, Linebeck was having an easier time with Niko. He'd thrown a handful of snow in Niko's face, getting him to drop the knife, and they were now wrestling each other over the fallen weapon. Linebeck seemed to be winning, shoving Niko face-down into the snow, bleeding from a few new cuts. Bellum dodged Tetra's next attack and aimed another punch at her wrist. He missed when the girl twisted away and glared at him.

This was more difficult than Bellum expected. He could handle a trio of criminals, but this ragtag group of urchins had the chance of killing him. One cut from that knife, and the poison might kill him. Main problem was that he didn't know what kind of poison it was. For all he knew, the blade was just wet from melted snow. Tetra feinted at him, forcing Bellum to stumble, then she thrust the blade at his abdomen. If that blade found it's mark, it would be a bad wound, even worse with the poison- but he couldn't move in time.

This girl was a tough fighter, and she might be the end of him at this rate. Bellum suddenly felt himself being pushed out of the way, and Tetra's eyes widened. Everything seemed to stop for a moment while Bellum collected his thoughts. Linebeck had pushed him out of the way, but Tetra stabbed him instead. The knife was buried in his side, Tetra's shocked expression telling both of them that it was unintended. Linebeck himself looked shocked as well, and his hand curled into a fist around a handful of Bellum's jacket.

Tetra stumbled back, taking the knife with her. Had he not been so concerned about Linebeck, Bellum would have cursed at her for removing it and letting it bleed. Linebeck stumbled back a few steps, staring around with panicked eyes before looking up at Bellum. He felt numb, then dove forward to catch Linebeck before he fell. Tetra escaped with the remaining two members, but Bellum was preoccupied.

Linebeck was trembling, leaning against Bellum. He shifted a little and whimpered, looking down at the wound. It was bleeding profusely, some of the blood oddly color. Poison. Bellum gritted his teeth and hugged Linebeck tightly. "You'll be ok, you'll be ok..." He put a hand over the wound, trying to staunch the bleeding. "Do this, put your hand over it. Please." Linebeck nodded weakly, covering up the wound with his hand while Bellum removed his, picking him up. He needed to be fast if this was poison, and Lineebck was bleeding from other cuts, and shivering, out in the snow in thin clothes.

Linebeck shifted in Bellum's arms, whimpering. "I-It hurts..." He whined and buried his face in Bellum's shoulder. Bellum stagger back a little, reminded of the gash in his leg, but started running, nonetheless. Linebeck whined again, writhing weakly, but didn't wriggle enough so that Bellum dropped him.

Bellum sprinted through the courtyard; half tempted to jump over the hedges if he wasn't so afraid of agitating Linebeck's wounds. He still had the glass cuts in addition to the knife wound. Passing by one of the windows, Bellum caught a glimpse of the triplets watching them, emotions unable to be discerned with such a quick look. "H-how are you feeling?" Bellum asked Linebeck quietly, noticing worriedly that he'd wriggled less and less.

"H-hurts," Linebeck weakly mewled, blood staining his white shirt, now shivering. "C-cold. S-s-so cold." He whined again, nuzzling against Bellums shoulder.

Bellum paused for a moment, turning to the corner. He turned his head slightly too look Linebeck over. They were both panicked, but numbness stifled Bellum's feelings. He found himself thinking back to when he first found the boy, nearly twelve years ago. It was snowing- he remembered it. Dead of night, too. He'd been told of a few different deaths, and was going through and checking each of them, calling teams to get the bodies when he left. A morbid task, but he was used to it, just about desensitized.

He didn't remember their names. Linebeck's parents were dead and that was all that matter to him, but he occasionally found Linebeck's file in the archives to remind himself of their names. He'd been wandering through the streets, going from address to address and finding the sickness-riddled corpses. He was wearing a dark cloak, knowing that not too many liked Bellum's presence. He found Linebeck's parents quickly, dead from that vicious sickness. It had been an epidemic that year. Lots of people had died, and the younger you were, the more vulnerable. So, of course Bellum had been surprised to find Linebeck alive.

After calling a team, Bellum had taken Linebeck, curiosity about his survival pushing him to see what let him live. Eventually, Bellum ended up assuming that it was just lack of interaction with others, but even that made little sense, all things considered. Of course, Lineebck got sick while he grew up, so it wasn't immunity. But now, Bellum had the night when he found Linebeck repeating in his mind, running home with an infant in his arms, avoiding any people he saw.

Linebeck whined again, and Bellum blinked, then dashed over to his front door. Only a little farther to go, he could let Linebeck rest in his room and get everyone else to get the medical kit. The door was slightly ajar, and he shoved it open while he sprinted in. He dashed past the door to the library, barely aware that Oshus and Link had been pacing inside. He was more aware of the three sets of footsteps behind him as he sprinted up the stairs, passing by the lamps and paintings.

The door to Linebeck's room was open as well, and he stopped by the bad, laying Linebeck on the sheets. The boy groan and shifted slightly, then laid with his eyes closed, wincing and clawing at the shirt around his wound. Bellum panickily looked him over, his hand covering the cut while he frantically thought of what to do. Linebeck's breathing had become shallow, and he was still shivering, and he looked paler than usual. The door creaked wider open. Linebeck flinched at the noise, and Bellum looked up at the doorway.

The triplets were at the door, staring in with dismayed and concerned expressions. Oshus showed up behind them barely a moment after, followed by Link, who sprinted into the room and over to the bed, standing next to Bellum. "What happened?!" Link asked, staring wide-eyed at Linebeck.

Bellum shook his head, turning away so that no one saw his ruined eye. "Oshus."

"Yes?"

"Med kit. Now."

To the triplets' surprise, the old man nodded and rushed away. Everyone was silent for a bit save for Linebeck's pained moaning and whimpering. Bellum took the kid's hand with his other, softly whispering, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you'll be ok, you'll be ok. Hey, hey, can you open your eyes for me?" Linebeck blinked his eyes open slowly, turning his head a fraction to look at Bellum. "Thanks. Stay awake, ok? How do you feel?" His hands were shaking, and he knew that everyone could see it, but that didn't matter.

"Y-your e-e-eye..." Linebeck's fingers twitched, but he didn't move his hand. "C-cold... T-t-tired..." He flinched and groaned, closing his eyes again. "It h-hurts. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts so bad, please make it stop, it hurts..." He writhed, trying to move onto his side, but Bellum kept him on his back. Linebeck groaned again, writhing once again, he blinked a few times, tears starting to seep down his face. Bellum gently stroke his hair, ignoring Link and those behind him.

Oshus rusher over to them, setting the med kit next to Bellum. Link left while Bellum opened up the fit, keeping an eye on Linebeck. The kid turned onto his side and curled into a fetal position, sobbing quietly. Bellum pulled him onto his back again, murmuring, "Sorry, sorry. You can sleep if you want, just stay on your back." Hopefully, he didn't have hypothermia, or else falling asleep was a bad idea. If he fell asleep, it would be a bit easier to check his wounds... "Can you move your shirt up? I need to see where you got hurt..."

"What happened?" Ciela asked, walking over behind Bellum. "What happened to- to both of you?"

Bellum ignored her, pulling out bandages and stitches, his hands fumbling and shaking. Linebeck had pulled his shirt away from the cut. It looked fairly deep, the veins around it slightly purple. "He was poisoned," Bellum softly murmured. "Oshus. Sent a notice for some phantoms to come and arrest the urchins that are still here." The old man nodded and left.

Leaf spoke up next, looking away from Bellum as the Warden inspected Linebeck's wound. The kid whined and whimpered but did his best to keep still for Bellum. "You... Are you sure you didn't... kill that one kid?"

"I don't give a damn," Bellum rasped. "They almost killed me and my son. Fair trade. You think I feel remorse about that? That's another day in the job, just with a little more bloodshed."

Neri stared at him, pale, but he barely acknowledged her. "You need someone to look at your eye for you. We know how to deal with stuff like this-"

"Piss off," Bellum growled. "I'll fix myself up once I'm done here." He pulled out a length of bandages, and some disinfectant. Linebeck saw him pour a little bit on a cotton ball and groaned, wincing away. "Shhh, it'll make things better, just calm down, ok? Let me help you." Bellum gently brushed the soaked cotton against the cut, his heart breaking every time Linebeck flinched away and let out a small sob.

Neri backed up a little, arms crossed while she watched. She turned away after a few minutes away, leaving the room with Leaf. Ciela stayed with Link, the little boy hugging her tightly. Bellum took in a shaky breath and murmured, "I'm gonna have to stitch this up." He was talking to himself more than anyone but felt like he was also letting Linebeck brace himself.

Bellum set out the needle and thread, an annoying voice in the back of his mind repeatedly asking if it was clean or not, but he didn't have time for that. Scissors... he technically didn't have everything, but he'd been able to stitch up wounds with only those items before. He didn't have any damn gloves, either, but they were running out of time. Bellum thread the string through the needle, sighing before getting started.

It took longer than Bellum was satisfied with, and Ciela ended up helping him keep the needle still. Linebeck had gone silent, but Bellum later realized that it was because he had his shirt between his teeth, biting down on it. Bellum wrapped the bandage around Linebeck's waist, covering the stitched wound and some other cuts, and backed up with a sigh. "A-are you ok?" He leaned forward and took Linebeck's hand again. "How do you f-feel?"

Linebeck shrugged, turning onto his side again and curling up. Bellum stroke his hair, murmuring, "You'll be ok, get some sleep." He kissed Linebeck on the temple, rubbing his back for a moment before leaving the room, followed by Ciela. Link stayed behind, and Bellum peered over his shoulder before closing the door. Link was sitting at Linebeck's bedside, holding his hand and talking to him.

Bellum stumbled down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. He drew in a slow breath, standing over the sink, reaching up and feeling for the knife handle. Not giving himself a chance to have doubts, Bellum ripped the knife out from his eye, the shrill scream that issued from his lips followed by the clatter of the knife in the sink. His blood dripped onto it, and the agony returned to his face. After a few moments of groaning and growling against the pain, Bellum staggered over to the side and flung open one of the cabinets and rummaged through until he found a bottle of whiskey, pulling off and flinging away the cap.

He took a few long swigs before noticing Oshus watching him. "The hell to you want, old man?"

"How's the boy?" Oshus calmly asked. "Ciela told me that you finished stitching the cut up, but he might be poisoned. How is he now?"

"Should be resting," Bellum muttered. "I'll see to the poison thing in a moment, but the veins around the cut were purple. The poison was also administered when that bitch stabbed him. That a lead?" He took another swig of whiskey, hissing as another stab of pain hit him.

Oshus nodded. "I'll have Neri look into it. She's reliable. I'll help you with your eye, if you'd like."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, you old coot. Do it in the library, I've got an extra med kit in there. Under the coffee table." He stalked past Oshus, heading into the hallway with him following. "I'll assume my eye's a lost cause?"

"It will need to be removed, but I'll be able to handle it."

Bellum chuckled gruffly. "Wonderful. I'd like it if you started as soon as possible, but wait until I'm black out drunk or asleep, ok? I don't know how skilled you are with this shit, so I'd rather not have any memory or awareness of it."

Oshus sighed, following Bellum into the dark library. "Of course. I'll tell Neri what to do to give you some time." He left Bellum alone, the man having collapsed on one of the couches, working on downing the alcohol.

Neri was talking quietly with her siblings when Oshus approached. Ciela greeted him first. "Oh, grandpa! How are they doing? I'm worried about Linebeck, and Link seemed really torn up about it, too."

"That's the problem," Oshus explained. "Neri, can you do some research? We need to find out with Linebeck was poisoned with. Our only leads is that it was liquid and cause some veins to turn purple. Can you do that?"

With a faint smile, Neri nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I can do that."

"Leaf?"

"Yeah?"

"You're with me. I'm fixing up Bellum's eye, and we've got a fifty-fifty chance of him either being drunk or asleep. I'll need your help either way."

"O-of course."

Ciela interjected before Oshus could speak again. "I'll keep an eye on the boys."

"Oh, thank you. Now then, we don't have much time to waste. Once we're done with Bellum, we'll have some time to rest until we can get more information on the poison, or if Linebeck's condition worsens." Oshus nodded to himself. "I'll make some tea when I'm done with my duties."


	31. Chapter 31

Link hopped up the stairs one step at a time with the book in hand. It was a heavy book, and Link wasn't too interested in reading it. Done with the stairs, he trotted down the hallway, pushing open the door to Linebeck's room. "I got the book. Your dad is sleeping, but he's got some kinda bandage around the stabbed eye. I guess they fixed it."

Linebeck nodded, shifting in his bed. He'd gotten rid of his shirt, deeming it too ripped up and bloody to wear, and had made Link go and fetch his coat instead. It was a bit cleaner; Bellum had apparently washed it at some point. Linebeck had theorized that Bellum had done it while the boy was sleeping, because it was there when he fell asleep after getting home and gone when he woke up. "He's pretty sneaky, so that explains why I didn't wake up when he left," Linebeck had explained when Link asked why that didn't wake him up.

"I bet they pulled his eye out," Linebeck mused while Link got on the bed and sat beside him. "It was pretty screwed up, if I remember correctly." He shifted and groan, turning on his side and curling up. "Shit, shit, shit..." He let out a high whine.

Link watched him, unsettled. It had been a few hours since Linebeck's wound had been stitched up and bandaged. Linebeck was mostly fine, but every so often, he'd move in a certain way and it would cause him a lot of pain, or he'd randomly start feeling very cold, or he would feel like he was going to vomit. Linebeck tried to hide it, but he was also constantly feeling nauseated - Link could tell.

Linebeck laid still for a while, then pushed himself back up, leaning against Link. "Thanks for bringing up the book. Did you see anyone else in the library?"

"Oh, yeah, Neri was in there. We talked for a little bit. Apparently, your dad doesn't snore much. He doesn't look as scary when asleep."

Linebeck sighed, crossing his arms. "What did Neri say?"

Link shrugged. "She was asking about how you're doing. I told her about how you're feeling sick and you feel a lot of pain if you move." He handed the book to Linebeck, who brushed off the dust on the cover. "She was reading a book even bigger than this one. I think it was about some poisons." He peered up at Linebeck with a faint smile. "I hope you feel better soon." After a moment, Link sat up straighter and pulled Rainbakku over to him, Copernicus sitting at the edge of the bed, where Link had left him.

Linebeck regarded the plushie cat for a moment. "Can you, uh, give Copernicus to me?"

"Sure." Link crawled over to the stuffed animal, handing it over to Linebeck and settled back down next to him. "You really like Copernicus, huh? It's a lot like me and Rainbakku!"

"Yeah, exactly like it," Linebeck agreed with a nod. "Except mine doesn't have a stupid name." He hugged the cat tightly, ignoring Link's indignant expression.

"It's not stupid," Link muttered. "Anyways, why is there so much bandaged around your waist? The cut was only in once spot."

Linebeck shrugged, shifting his coat so that he could better see the faint red on the white that signified that location of the cut. "Dunno. Don't think he had any smaller bandages, and it covered up other cuts, too." He leaned back setting Copernicus between the two of them. He pushed the book off his lap onto Links, saying, "Welp, you should try and read this. It's pretty cool. It's another adventure story."

Link nodded, reading the back of the book. He then glanced at Linebeck, who hastily fixed his coat. "I guess we're both really skinny, huh?"

"Yeah, no shit. We were living on the streets without proper food, living off scraps of meat and moldy bread." Linebeck sat up, hugging his knees to his chest. "Of course, we're gonna be really skinny. Me more than you, clearly, but yeah." He leaned against Link again. "That's how it works."

"Huh. I never noticed."

Linebeck laughed to himself. "We were both wearing long sleeves and long pants. Didn't really let much skin show, so we couldn't really tell." He tapped the back cover of the book and turned it over, opening it to the first page. "Let's just read this. I wanna get my mind off this pain, anyways."

Link nodded and started to read the first chapter, then paused. "Pain? I thought it only hurt when you moved weird."

Linebeck winced, turning away. "Yeah. That's what I meant. It aches a bit afterwards..."

Link shook his head. "No, no, no! Be honest. Does it hurt all the time?"

"No, it doesn't, seriously,"

"Linebeck, please!" Link's voice was shrill, and Linebeck meekly glanced over his shoulder. "Please! Just, tell the truth! I don't want you to lie about feeling fine and just... just..."

"Suffer in silence?" Linebeck softly asked. "That's fine by me. I don't wanna bother anyone. Neri if working, Dad's asleep, and the rest are probably doing something important. No point in bothering them."

They stared at each other for a moment. "So, It does hurt all the time?"

Lineebck shrugged. "Yeah." He turned away. "Hurts the most around the cut."

Link went pale and jumped out of bed. Linebeck whipped around, then groaned, doubling over and collapsing on his side. The pain forced him to writhe, and he clawed at the blankets. Link's shouting sounded far away to him, but he felt the smaller hand on his own clear as day. Once the ringing in his ears died down, he went limp, feeling tired once again. It was dark out, still snowing, but it was early morning, now. Linebeck focused on his breathing for a few moments, then stared up at Link. "Fine," he rasped. "It hurts. So much. Go tell Neri that it constantly hurts." He pulled his hand out from under Link's. "Go ahead."

Link shook his head. "I don't wanna leave you alone now."

Linebeck scoffed. "Why?"

"You're in pain!"

Linebeck scowled. "Your point? I don't need you here to fix that. If you tell Neri that it constantly hurts, it'll help me in the long run. You can be fast. If you want, just run so you can be fast. You can get back quickly that way." He pushed himself up and pushed Link away. "I'll be fine. Seriously. Go." He smiled faintly.

The younger kid backed away from the bed for a moment. With a sigh, Linebeck sat back up, laying against the pillow. He picked up the book and looked it over before looking back up at Link. He waved his hand at him, silently telling him to shoo away. Link pouted but dashed out of the room without another word. Linebeck could hear Link's faint footsteps down the stairs and didn't stop staring out the door until he could no long hear the footsteps on the tile floor.

Link sprinted back into the library, once again finding Neri in one of the dark corners. Link passed Bellum, who was still asleep on the couch by the fireplace. An empty bottle of alcohol was laying on the floor near him. The bandages covering his left eye was stained red around the eye socket, but Link could tell he was only asleep. He stared at the Warden for a moment longer before trotting over to Neri.

The young woman looked up at him when the kid approached. "Do you need something? Has Linebeck's condition changed?"

Link shrugged, rubbing his arm. "He, uh, said that he's also constantly in pain. Sorry for not telling you that earlier, he kept it a secret. What are you reading?"

Neri pursed her lips, getting to her feet. She leaned against the bookcase behind her while she spoke. "It's a book on poisons. I had gone through a few other books, but this is the best one that Bellum has. I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with Linebeck. Thanks for telling me, that'll help me narrow it down. You should head back; I can tell that he likes being around you."

"Yeah, I guess he does. I'm just worried."

Neri shrugged, turning her attention back to her book. "Well, both Linebeck and Bellum have their respective worst injuries more or less taken care of, but we'll finish up patching everything else up when Bellum wakes back up. We haven't done that yet since we're still figuring out about the poison and making sure that those orphans don't come back. Oshus sent out a notice for a group of phantoms to pick up the caught or unconscious kids, so you won't have to worry about them."

Link nodded with a new smile. "Thanks. I'll tell you if Linebeck gets worse or better. What are Oshus and the others doing?"

"Having some tea. Ciela was originally going to keep watch on you two but decided that you were handling it on your own. I think Leaf is looking for some stuff to repair the window." She closed the book, then opened it again to one of the first pages. "If anything down here happens, we'll tell you."

Satisfied with himself and what Neri told him, Link nodded and jogged out of the dim room, only breaking into a sprint once he got to the hallway. "I told her," he announced upon reentering Linebeck's room, sitting on the desk chair. "She's trying to figure out what poison you're hurt with."

"Cool. Are you gonna read this?" He held out the book to Link. "That's the only reason I wanted you to bring it."

Link shrugged and glanced over at a few of the pictures on the desk. One of them was just a picture of Copernicus. The other two was a picture of Bellum teaching Linebeck to play the piano and a picture of a tiny snowman. He stared at them for the moment, then trotted over, hopping onto the bed again. He took the book from Linebeck, turning to the first page once again. "You like this book?"

"Yep. I think you'll like it, too."

"Cool."

* * *

Bellum woke up with a piercing headache. He ambled into the kitchen to dispose of the bottle and get himself some water. He rubbed the bandage over his left eye socket periodically, finding a small glass. He left the glass under the faucet, filling up with cold tap water while he stared at the shattered window. There was snow on the counter near it. He'd need to fix that at some point; Bellum could commission Leaf to fix it. The young man was good with making repairs. He didn't like interacting with the library staff often.

He personally saw Oshus as a rival out of pure spite and unfounded malice. The three siblings hated him, however. Ciela was bold about it, challenging him when he appeared at the library, reminding him of his murders and past offenses. Neri avoided him, but was always watching, Leaf doing some kind of mix of the both. Bellum glanced over at the sink, the water in the glass over flowing. He turned off the faucet and picked the wet glass up, downing it in moments and placing it back into the sink to refill.

After about five glasses, he left the kitchen to find Oshus again. Neri was alone in the library, so there was no point checking in there again. It wasn't a large room, either, just with a few reading tables, the couches, and the book cases lining the walls. His office should be untouched, so that left either the dining room or the living room. The dining room lights were off, so it was the living room.

As he expected, the three of them were in the brightly lit living room. The curtains were drawn, three cups of tea. The three of them were sitting. on the couch and looked up when Bellum walked over. "What, uh, did I miss?"

Oshus shrugged. "Neri's been making advances in figuring out what poison we're dealing with, and Link's been giving her updates. It was also surprisingly simple to scoop the remains of your eye."

Bellum rubbed the back of his head. "Was I drunk or asleep?"

"You were asleep, but I assume you were drunk before falling asleep." He got to his feet, Leaf and Ciela glancing at each other. "I recommend asking Neri about her progress."

"Right." Bellum glanced around the room for a moment, then stumbled down the hallway, back to the library. Footsteps followed him, and he turned around to face Leaf. "What do you want?"

Leaf hesitated. "Do you have any supplies for fixing the window? I was thinking about doing that soon-"

"You'll find some stuff upstairs in the third closet." Bellum whipped around and continued walking down the hallway, but Leaf stopped him with a hand on his arm. "...What?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Hungover, achy, and worried about my son. How're you?"

Leaf backed away a little bit, slowly rubbing his hands together. "I just... I'm sure having us around it a problem for you, but I just wanna know if there's anything extra we can do to help out. I know you hate us, but we just want to owe you for... some reason. Oshus said we owed you." He averted his gaze awkwardly.

Bellum regarded Leaf for a moment. "Oshus said that Link had been updating Neri on Linebeck's condition."

"Y-yeah."

"That means that Linebeck is still awake?"

"Yep."

Bellum sighed halfheartedly. "Of course. Do me a solid and ask your sister about her progress." He waved his hand dismissively and walked off. He heard Leaf following behind him again but ignored him. He was only adding to his headache, anyways. Leaf left him alone once he reached the stairs and was left alone as he strode down the hallway.

He knew the two of them were awake before he even reached the open door. They were talking to each other about some kind of book. Bellum lingered outside the doorway for a little bit, searching through his mind for the title of the book. He gave up, and knocked on the doorframe, pushing the door open slightly. "Hey, shouldn't you two be resting?"

Linebeck looked up first, and Link stared at Bellum's bandaged side. "You should be resting, too," Linebeck muttered. He leaned against Link, the smaller kid starting to creep Bellum out with his staring. "I'm doing fine."

Bellum frowned. "Well, I've heard that you're constantly in pain. If you're fine, I'm fine." He glanced over at Link. "What are you staring at?"

Link flinched. "S-sorry! I've only seen you in the bandage while you were sleeping, though. It looks painful." He glanced at Linebeck for a moment. "We've been fine, but we're kinda tired."

"I'm not-"

Bellum chuckled to himself. "Well, kid, do me a favor and talk to the others downstairs. I want to talk with Linebeck for a bit."

Link frowned. "Talk with him about what?"

"I just want to catch up with him. Go away. Take a walk. Go to sleep in the guest room or whatever." He pointed out into the hallway behind him.

Without any fuss, Link hopped out of the bed and left the room. Linebeck hesitated. "Why'd you want him to leave? He could've stayed."

Bellum shrugged, closing the bedroom door behind him. "I just felt like it'd be better for us to talk alone, since we're family. That kid isn't really official family."

Linebeck pouted. "So? We're practically brothers anyways."

Settling down on the bed next to Linebeck, Bellum grinned faintly. "Yeah, but I still have yet to agree with you on that. Anyways, how about we fill each other in on what we missed? Things have been a bit chaotic for us." Linebeck smiled weakly, nodding. "I've got to say, though, I apologize for missing your past birthdays. We've got a number of days to catch up on."

"I missed yours, too," Linebeck muttered. "We've both missed a lot of stuff." He went quiet, then added, "I lost a few teeth out there. One of my molars is wiggly right now. See?" He sat up more, pointing to a tooth in the back of his mouth.

Bellum laughed and playfully pushed Linebeck away. "Damn, I missed that, too. Back up, though, your breath smells awful." He relaxed on the bed while Linebeck sat back, checking his own breath. As Bellum watched, Linebeck breathed on his hand to check it, then winced. "See? It's horrible. Four years of living off the streets will screw up your breath, huh?"

"Nasty," Linebeck muttered, falling back against the pillow. "Kinda like your eye. Did the old man have to, like, scoop it out or something? Does it hurt? You're going to get an eye patch, right? You do look a little bit scary, to be honest." He flinched and curled up but continued talking. "I hope you don't get sick or anything. I don't remember you ever getting sick, though. I was the one who got sick a lot, right?"

Bellum tousled Linebeck's hair. "Yeah, you did get sick often. Lots of colds. Never anything too bad, though. I don't get sick that often, anyways. I'm worried about you, though. If you're in pain all the time, I bet sleep would help you with that."

Linebeck frowned. "I tried, ok? I've always had a hard time sleeping, what with insomnia and nightmares."

"Ah, yes, I forgot about that," Bellum wistfully murmured. "You came into my room four nights out of seven because you couldn't sleep, or you had a nightmare. I think you came in because you got scared of your own shadow a few times." Linebeck glared at him, but he only smiled. "It's true and you know it. You eventually stopped, but that was when you started missing out on sleep." He sat up and laid an arm across Linebeck's shoulders. "Well, I'm grateful to have you back. Get some rest, ok?"

Linebeck frowned. "Yeah, but I'm not tired."

"Not even a little? You'd usually be tired after losing a lot of blood like that." Bellum tilted Linebeck's head up so he could get a better look at his eyes. "Even with insomnia, I bet you'd pass out at some point. Those shadows under your eyes are pretty bad. I hate to think of how many sleepless nights you've had to deal with. Nightmares, too."

Linebeck yawned. "I did have a lot of nightmares out there. But I'm not tired." He shifted, wriggling slightly. "If anything, I'm feeling a little bit hyper. I hate this. I've been feeling sick, too, but that's normal."

"Maybe the fact that you're still asleep has to do with the poison," Bellum murmured. "But we've got Neri working on that, don't worry. I could head down and tell her."

"Go ahead," was the quiet response. Linebeck shrugged Bellum's arm off his shoulders. "I'll try and get some sleep. It hurts enough to be awake." He laid back down on his side, facing away from Bellum. The Warden regarded the kid for a second before sliding off the bed and leaving the room.

Once Bellum was down the stairs, Link jogged around the corner and returned to Linebeck's room. He spotted him lying on his side on the bed. "Hey, uh, Linebeck?" Link asked, hesitating to head any further into the room. "Are you ok?"

"No," Linebeck muttered. "Go away. I'm trying to sleep." He lazily put his arm in the air, hand lolling limply. "Leave." His arm fell, and he curled up into a tight fetal position.

Link lingered in the doorway and backed up. He shut the door quietly and sat down on the floor by the door. At least he could more or less keep an eye on Linebeck. Bellum returned to the door quickly, and the two of them stared at each other. Bellum tapped the doorknob. "Why's the door closed?"

"He wanted to be alone to go to sleep." Link pulled his knees up to his chest. "He's tired, I think."

Bellum nodded thoughtfully, sitting down on the other side of the door. They were quiet, ignoring each other aside from occasional sideways glances. Finally, Bellum sighed and said, "If he sees us just sitting out here, I doubt he'd be grateful for it."

"Oh. But I wanna be near here just in case something happens." Link shifted, peering at Bellum. "Did you tell Neri about anything else?"

"Just that he wasn't tired at all. I was thinking the poison was keeping him up, but it could also be insomnia, so I told her just to keep it in mind. She's getting close, though, she told me. He'll be fine." Bellum stood up and stretched. "Anyways, let's keep the door cracked at least. Just in case." Without waiting for a response, he opened the door a few inches and let it set. There was no reaction from inside. Bellum peered inside before sitting back down.

There was an awkward tension between the Warden and the orphan. Link shuffled closer to the door, glancing in over his shoulder. He couldn't see much other than the foot of the bed, and Linebeck's feet. He was on top of the blanket rather than under it. He probably wasn't cold. No one spoke, and there were no footsteps. It was silent aside from their breathing.

Bellum itched his bandage again, leaning against the wall. He didn't want to talk and interrupt his own thoughts. He'd like to talk and catch up with Linebeck more, but the boy clearly wasn't in the mood for it. Hopefully, Neri could identify the poison soon, and it hopefully wouldn't be anything too deadly. He got up to his feet. "I'm going to speak with Neri," he announced to Link. "I won't be long."

"I don't care," Link muttered. He looked away.

Bellum scrutinized the boy for a moment, tempted to say something about his rudeness, but decided that it was warranted. He truly deserved the hate of pretty much every orphan on the streets. If they were to all attack him at once, he would not have been surprised. Zelda and Ganondorf clearly only tolerated him, similar to his own attitude about them. He shook his head, jogging down the stairs. Much to his surprise, he almost ran into Neri on the way down. She stared at him, the book in her arms, and blurted out, "I figured out what kind of poison it is."

"You did? What is it?"

Neri hesitated, shifting from foot to foot. "It's a hybrid poison, a mixture of wolfsbane and hemlock, with odd symptoms." She lowered her voice. "For the first few hours, he'd be more or less fine, but it will keep him awake and in pain until it escalates into vomiting and fever. He's got three days, not counting the past few hours." She had been avoiding Bellum's gaze for the most point and paled nearly as much as he had when she finally looked up at his face. "S-sorry."

Bellum stood, there, stunned for a few moments, then grabbed Neri by the shoulders. "What's the cure?"

Neri flinched away, scared in her own rights of Bellum. "I-I, it's odd-"

"What's the cure?!"

Neri winced, wriggling out of his iron grasp. "It's odd. It can resolve itself if he sleeps enough, but the fact that it more or less forces him awake makes that difficult. A quicker and more efficient cure is a specific potion."

"What kind?!"

"O-one of the yellow varieties," Neri said, shuffling to the side, uncomfortable under Bellum's smothering gaze. "It's rare, as you know, and expensive. I think only one of the wealthier families can afford and get access to it." She backed up one stair, worried that Bellum would attack her as a way to vent.

Instead, Bellum stormed down the stairs past her, cursing violently under his breath. Neri stared after him and set the book down on one of the steps before running after him. "Hey, where are you going?"

"I know someone who can get me one of those damn potions," Bellum growled through gritted teeth. "I just have to come up with an inconspicuous cover story." He stomped down the hallway and entered his office, slamming the door behind him, cutting Neri off.

While Neri fixed her slightly skewed glasses, she glanced sidelong at her approaching siblings. "What's going on?" Ciela asked. She reached her sister before Leaf, glancing nervously at the closed office door. "Is something happening?"

Neri bit her bottom lip. "I figured out what poison is ailing Linebeck, and it's pretty bad. Bellum said he's going to try and contact someone to help with a cure." She backed up from the door, whipping around quickly and hurrying down the hallway. Ciela trailed after her, but Leaf lingered behind before returning to the living room.

"What's the poison?" Ciela asked while following her sister. "How bad is it that Bellum's shutting himself in his office like that?"

"He's not shutting himself in his room as a grief reaction," Neri snapped. "But we are dealing with a pretty bad poison, and the poor boy has about three days left. It's only getting worse from now, and I'll give it a few hours before he gets feverish and vomiting. I assume Bellum knows someone with access to the needed potion and is working on contacting them through a notice."

Ciela stopped in front of the library fireplace, watching Neri pace. "That's... not good. Who do you think he's trying to contact?"

"Probably Zelda," Neri mumbled. "He's probably going to contact her and then spend the next few days hovering over Linebeck out of pure concern." She collapsed on one of the couches. "I'm just wondering what we should tell Link about it. Linebeck should be fine with the news, but the poor kid has always hated when Linebeck gets hurt." She sighed, peering up at Ciela. "We can't keep it a secret, either, since our behavior will tip him off that something is going wrong."

"I don't know what we'll do," Ciela murmured. "But I'm sure Grandpa will come up with some kind of plan."

"You've got so much faith in Oshus," Neri murmured. "What if he falls short of your expectations? What then?" She lazily looked up at Ciela, the young woman silhouetted from the light of the fireplace.

"...No one's perfect," Ciela finally murmured. "I will of course excuse if he fails in any way, and I try to keep my expectations realistic." She sighed. "It's just... he practically raised us, y'know? Found us when we were younger, helped me deal with my amnesia and gave us a place to live and work. We owe our lives to him." Sheepishly, she glanced over at Neri. "To be honest, we owe him for the last ten years we've been working at the library."

Neri nodded. "Yeah. That was odd, back then. The three of us, lost on the streets, you suffering from amnesia after getting hit by that wagon. It's a good thing we were close to the library. Did you ever recover your memories? I don't think I ever asked you that."

"Yeah, I did. A year after we reached the library."

They remained silent, listening to the crackle of the fire. Dimly, they could hear Bellum violently pushing the door to his office open, the doorknob most likely slamming into the wall. They turned, seeing Bellum dash down the hallway past the library. He had a slip of paper clutched in his hands. Neri pushed herself up off the couch and ran after Bellum, but Ciela remained in the library.

Neri followed Bellum to the front door. "What are you doing? If you're going outside, be careful, you're still hurt-"

"No shit," Bellum snapped. He grabbed at a scarf on the coat rack, haphazardly laying it around his neck and shoulders. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Keep an eye on Linebeck until I return, don't tell Link about the poison unless Linebeck agrees." He re-read the paper and stuffed it in his jacket pocket. "I don't care about my cuts. If anything, they'll just freeze up in the cold. And my headache barely even bothers me."

Neri backed away as Bellum opened the front door, walking out into the snowy morning. She walked away when he shut the door.

It didn't take long to explain the situation to her siblings and Oshus, and they dispersed to take shifts with keeping an eye on Linebeck- Leaf getting the first hour. He headed back up the stairs to the second floor, and found Link sitting outside Linebeck's room. "Oh, hey, Link!"

Link looked up at him and shrugged. "Hi. Linebeck is sleeping." He hugged his knees tightly to his chest. "He wants to be left alone."

Leaf nodded. "That's fine. I just need to stay around here, like you." He put his hands in his pockets, shifting from foot to foot. "I'm going to pace around the hall here."

"Sure." Link stood up, straightening his shirt. "I'm gonna stay in the room with Linebeck."

"Go ahead." Leaf pushed the door open slightly, letting Link in, and closed it when the kid was gone. He'd have to tell the others about Link going in with him, but they'd learn soon enough. It was like a patrol, his hour of keeping an eye on them.

Bellum returned after ten minutes. He stumbled into the house, slamming the door behind him and tossing the scarf on the coat rack. He was shivering but didn't seem to pay much attention to it. Ciela attempted to speak to him, but he only shoved past her and rushed up the stairs, muttering something about talking to Linebeck.

Bellum jogged up the stairs and almost ran into Leaf. The two of them regarded each other and continued on with their respective routes. Bellum headed into Linebeck's room, ignoring that Leaf was watching him like a hawk. Linebeck was sitting up on his bed, looking fairly pale. Link was sitting across from him, talking quietly. Linebeck seemed to be listening, occasionally shifting and faintly smiling. Closing the door behind him, Bellum leaning against it, he watched the two of them talking back and forth. He didn't bother listening, just watching.

They chatted for a few minutes before noticing Bellum standing there. Linebeck smiled faintly at him, but Link looked a little shaken. "Hi," Linebeck rasped, leaning back a little more. "I feel like shit."

Bellum's own smile faltered. "What do you mean?" Linebeck started to answer as he walked over.

"I think I've got a fever now," Linebeck muttered. "I'll chalk it up to poison symptoms. Did Neri find anything out?"

Bellum sat on the side of the bed. "She did, actually. She figured out what you are affected by and found a cure." He peered at Link, who was more or less glaring at him. "I recommend that you leave or something, for the sake of your happiness or ignorance."

"I'll stay," Link muttered.

Linebeck leaned forward a bit, seeming to sway. "So, what's up with this bullshit I'm dealing with?"

Bellum rubbed his hands together, uncomfortable. "Just... it's really bad. You're only going to feel worse as time goes on, but I sent a notice to Zelda. I'm going to see if she can get me a potion- the best cure for you." He shifted further onto the bed. "You need to rest. Try to rest even if this keeps you up. I'll try and make something to help you sleep; I'll tell you more about the poison if you want, once Link leaves."

Pulling the blanket up to his waist, Linebeck nodded. "I'd like that. Link, you should get some sleep." Link started to protest, but Linebeck only shook his head. "You haven't slept in a while. You can stay in here if you want, you can try and find some more blankets and pillows." Link only pouted, but did as he said, heading over to the closet and opening the door. A small cloud of dust greeted him, and the poor kid was thrown into a quick coughing fit. "Sorry," Linebeck loudly rasped. "It hasn't been used for a few years."


	32. Chapter 32

It was late in the afternoon. The snow outside stopped and it was a bright day. Link was sleeping on the floor, curled up in a pair of blankets beside the bed, the chosen pillow looking more or less unused. He had fallen asleep quickly, so that gave Bellum and Linebeck more time to talk. However, Linebeck's fever worsened quickly, and he resigned to laying against Bellum.

"It's weird to think that I have a little less than three days now," Linebeck muttered. He was laying on his side, resting his head on Bellum's shoulder. Even through his jacket and shirt, Bellum could feel that he was burning up. "When is the sleeping stuff supposed to kick in? I'm feeling a little tired, but not much." He shifted with a slightly groan, peering up at Bellum. His eyes were slightly glazed, and his grip on Bellum's jacket was weak. "I want to sleep."

"Just try and rest at least," Bellum murmured. He turned a little more on his side, attempting not to bother Linebeck too much. "You haven't really been trying too much while you and I have been talking."

Linebeck nodded lethargically. "Fine. I'll try to sleep." He shut his eyes but did nothing else in order to help himself sleep. It was at least a start. They'd spent the last few hours simply talking, going over what might happen in the next few days before shifting into recollection of the past four years.

Bellum hadn't had a chance to check for a response from Zelda, either. The three leaders had their own personal post office, near the middle of the city. The sent mail was always sent to the receiver mere minutes after it was sent. Zelda rarely checked her mail as far as Bellum knew, however. He flinched a little as Linebeck pressed up against him. "Is something wrong?"

"Does it hurt? Being without your eye?"

Bellum pursed his lips. "It... it's fairly numb. I think it will not hurt, but it will only skew my perception and screw with my depth perception." He sat up slightly, Linebeck shifting with him. "It'll be hard to get used to."

"You don't seem too bothered by it," Linebeck murmured. "Are you ok with it?" He pulled the blanket up to his shoulders, nuzzling into Bellum's shoulder. "That's gonna change a lot of stuff for you. It must be hard to lose such an important part of normal functions. It'll make your job a lot harder."

"That's fair," Bellum murmured. "It'll take some time to get used to it. I don't know enough about losing an eye." He reached up and paused before tapping the bandage. "...I'm having my own problems realizing that I'm going to have to deal with this for the rest of my life. But I'll focus on that once you're better." He brushed back some of Linebeck's messy hair. "Do you need anything? I'll get up for a bit."

Linebeck sat up a fraction, then laid back down. "I... I'm a bit thirsty. Can you get some water? I might get more some sleep if I can get some actual rest. I'd like to be left alone." He pushed Bellum away slightly. The push was weak, proof of how tired and sick he was. Bellum regarded him for a moment, recalling how sweaty his hair had been despite the relative cold of the room. Linebeck turned onto his other side as Bellum got up, presumably watching Link.

Bellum filled another glass of tap water and dropped a few cubes of ice in the cup. He watched the ice float around slowly. Perhaps he could leave Linebeck alone to try and sleep on his own. He could take care of himself, but he was also a stubborn boy. But, for now, Bellum felt that he could leave him alone for some time. Perhaps he could talk with Oshus. The old man didn't seem to be doing anything.

He left the kitchen, walking almost lethargically, trying not to spill the water. On the way to the stairs, he passed a few of the tables with the pictures overturned. A few of them, if he correctly recalled, didn't even include Linebeck, but he turned them around, nonetheless. While cleaning Linebeck's coat two nights ago, he had considered fixing them, but never did. He should fix them at some point.

Linebeck had wrapped himself up in all of the blankets, but still continued to shiver. He didn't react to Bellum walking into the room and flinched when the man placed a hand on his shoulder. "O-oh. Is it cold in here to you? I'm freezing..." He sat up a little, taking the glass of water and frowning. "You put ice in? That's too cold." He glared at the ice, and pouted.

Bellum sighed, pulling the blanket around Linebeck's shoulders. "You've got a fever, remember? You only feel cold. In reality, you need to cool yourself down. Less blankets, ok?" Linebeck whined as his father removed most of the blankets but didn't do much to resist. He took a sip of the water and shivered. "Try and drink all of that water, ok? If you need anything, try and wake up Link. You can get him to get me. You shouldn't try and move very much. I can get you a bucket if you need to vomit, if you'd like."

"That's a good idea," Linebeck mumbled. He wrinkled his nose at the idea, however. "I don't wanna vomit. It'll probably just be all water, anyways." He rested back against the pillows, slowly sipping the water. "...What are you going to be doing?"

Slipping his hands in his pants pockets, Bellum casually shrugged. "I don't really know. I think I'll talk with Oshus. We're old friends after all." He tousled his own hair, glancing past Linebeck at Link's sleeping form. "...Is he a heavy sleeper?"

With a shrugged Linebeck said, "Dunno. He gets nightmares and hates thunder and lightning. He usually wakes up himself. I guess he is a heavy sleeper, since most noises and stuff don't wake him up. Why?"

"I'm just hoping that you can wake him up easy," Bellum muttered. "Anyways, I'll go get a bucket or something and leave you alone." He rubbed Linebeck's shoulder and turned to leave. It wasn't difficult to close the door quietly, the hinges never squeaked. Linebeck coughed just as Bellum's closed the door. Bellum hesitated outside the door, almost expecting more coughing, but there was nothing else. Satisfied, Bellum headed back down the stairs for what felt like the fiftieth time that night.

There was a fair selection of buckets in one of the kitchen cabinets, so Bellum took one of the first ones he touched. He dropped it off in Linebeck's room, setting it on the floor beside the bed. Linebeck barely paid much attention to him, watching the ice in his water float around. Link was still asleep but had turned onto his other side. Bellum backed away slightly, then left the room silently. It'd be best to let him be alone for a bit.

Back down in the kitchen, Bellum stood with his elbows on the table, pondering to himself the chances of Zelda showing up soon. She was compassionate and willing to help others, but Bellum had only said that he needed the potion for future reference, but did mention that he needed it soon, out of fear that shops would run out of stock. He'd put in that'd he'd be unable to get it himself due to work and such, but she might still take her time with it. At the least, he hoped that she'd seen the letter by now.

He leaned back, his hands finding their way to his pockets. This was probably the most activity he'd done in his own home for four years. Not to mention, it had all happened in under three days. Most days in the past four years, Bellum would return home and bury himself in his work, even doing pointless chores to keep himself busy and distract himself from falling into more unhealthy habits. On his off days, he'd walk around the city, doing overtime despite never getting overtime pay.

Zelda noticed Bellum's abrupt mood shift before anyone, becoming wary of him but eventually talking to him a bit more. Ganondorf didn't seem to care and scolded him for getting behind in his work during the first few weeks. He'd felt stifled under everything until talking with Oshus about everything, and Bellum seemed a little less stressed afterwards, that paired with seeing Linebeck doing more or less well on the streets.

He really owed the poor Morgan kid for showing his son the ropes- too bad that they died from sickness before Bellum had a chance to say anything. As he watched them, Bellum always had a feeling that Morgan knew that Linebeck as his son, always looking between the two of them wherever or whenever Bellum showed up, but they never said anything. Either way, Bellum was grateful to them for helping Linebeck survive in the long run.

Oshus. He meant to talk with Oshus. Right. Bellum shook his head as if ridding it of his darker throughs. It was nice to no longer be alone in this big house, anyways. Even if most of them were uninvited guests. The old man was probably still in the living room. He didn't move to other rooms quite as much as those three that worked with him.

As he expected, Bellum found Oshus in the living room, alone. Neri was still in the library and he'd seen Leaf pacing, but he wasn't sure where Ciela was. Hopefully, she wasn't snooping around. He didn't have much to hide, but he also didn't need her finding reasons to hate him more.

Bellum leaned against the doorway, waiting silently for Oshus to notice him. Neither spoke until Oshus asked, "Were you waiting for an invitation to sit, or are you just going to leer at me some more?"

Bellum blinked, then felt his face going red. "I didn't think you noticed me, so..."

"Apparently," Oshus said, "you haven't changed much since becoming the Warden."

"Neither have you," Bellum moodily muttered, collapsing on the couch across from Oshus. The room was brightly lit, the curtains over the windows drawn. It was one of the smaller rooms, but comfortable. "But I'll say it's annoying that you're still persistent about wanting to talk to me, especially considering that we didn't want much to do with each other during my apprenticeship."

"It's easy to get tired of you if I have to be near you for long periods of time," Oshus explained, pushing a cup of tea over to Bellum. It was still warm; he must've recently made it in apprehension of Bellum wanting to talk to him. "And I assume you tire of my presence, as well."

"I hate you," Bellum bluntly responded. "But I've got no one to talk to if Linebeck wants to be left alone."

"He does?"

"Yeah. I got some him some water and a bucket just in case before leaving him alone, and he can ask Link to go get me if he needs anything. I wouldn't left him alone if he wasn't so insistent about it. Definitely got a fever, though." He picked up the cup of tea, wincing from the heat. "To be fair, it's a little reassuring knowing he's still stubborn."

Oshus chuckled. "Yes, that's certainly something I've noticed while he was at the library. I'm going to assume that he got it from you. I was able to understand that he was your son after realizing how much he acts like you."

Bellum laughed. "Well, he's been stubborn for as long as I can remember." He took a sip of the tea. "I've told you about trying to teach him to speak and pronounce things when he was young, right?"

"Yes, I've heard a few."

"Have I ever told about when I was trying to teach him to pronounce 'duck' when he was little?"

"I have no recollection of you telling me any such story."

A smirk found its way onto Bellum's face. He took another sip of tea, then placed the cup down. "Good. I'm rather fond of this story since it's pretty funny. Even Linebeck doesn't mind me retelling it occasionally."

Oshus raised a bushy eyebrow. "This better be good."

Bellum shrugged. "That's up to you and your sense of humor. So, I'd say it was around when he started reading, and I was teaching him to pronounce animal names, and we'd gotten to the word 'duck'. I recall pointing and writing out the word for him, and he just intently stared at it for a moment. After a few seconds I was worried that he didn't understand, and then he, very confidently, gave me his best attempt, somehow replacing the 'd' with an 'f'."

Oshus choked on his tea, coughing for a few moments before laughing. "Did he?"

Bellum nodded, snickering to himself. "Of course, I correct him, and he just went and did it again, with the same level of confidence! I tried to correct him multiple times, but he was just so damn convinced that he was right, and he kept on ignorantly cussing me out while I was trying so desperately not to laugh at him. To this day, neither of us are sure why he even went for the sound of an 'f' at the beginning. It was just so funny, how stubborn about it he was. He obviously eventually got it right, but we had a similar situation with 'carp'." He picked his cup of tea up, still grinning. "Y'know, he's almost proud of that story. I dunno how he feels about it now, since I haven't reminded him, but, considering his vocabulary, I wouldn't be surprised if he was still fond of it."

While Bellum took a long gulp of his tea, Oshus shook his head, clearly stifling laughter. "I'm truly amazed by how proud the two of you are at the vulgarity of your vocabularies." He leaned back, waiting for Bellum to look back up at him. "But, I guess, in his case, it is a learned trait. Certainly allows him to express himself a bit better."

"Yeah, he's not very good at that," Bellum replied, setting his mug down on the table between them. "Good at saying what he wants, not good at expressing his actual feelings." Bellum stared at his tea for a moment, and sighed. "Sometimes I feel like I screwed up."

Oshus frowned. "What do you mean."

"Screwed up, failed him. Like, as a father. I feel like I messed up and drove him to leave. It is my fault that he left, after all. That he almost died out there a few times." He sighed once again, rubbing his temples. "Just... Yeah, I raised him, but I isolated him from the world, I wasn't home a lot of the time, and I didn't know what I was going most of the time."

Neither spoke for a while until Oshus murmured, "No one is perfect, Bellum. You'd never raised a child before, and consider your status and job rules, you couldn't let others know of him, but you worked around that. You taught and raised him, doing the best with the little wiggle room you were given. You two loved each other and are family, so that's really all that matters. Granted, you could've tried to see if you couldn't show him around the city and let him out more, but it was understandable. You raised him well, old friend. Don't worry."

Bellum tilted his head to the side, avoiding Oshus's gaze. "I guess... that's true. I just wish I could've told him the truth about my job earlier. Sometimes I piss myself off with how violent I am with my job, but it's just second nature. Gotta say, I apologize for twisting this job that you've handed down to me."

Oshus shook his head. "Everyone's had their own take on the job, it's just that yours is one of the more aggressive. Can't say I'm proud, but you've done a good job. Go and check back up on Linebeck if you need. You also got a note delivered; a group of phantoms arrested the kids left behind last night. They're all recovering in their cells as we speak, and they'll probably be in there for a month or two."

"Wonderful. I'll be in Linebeck's room if you want me." Bellum stood up, taking his tea with him.

He started to walk away when Oshus added, "You realize that Link will want to stay, right? Will you allow that? Linebeck will want that as well."

Bellum paused. "...Oh. I'll think about it. If Linebeck wants it, I'll think about it. Besides, I've already raised Linebeck, that other kid should be a little easier. Seems like he's a fair bit nicer and would be less difficult."

"Good. I hope the boy recovers nicely. Pretty sure that Zelda has gotten the letter by now, as well."

Bellum nodded. "She'd better." He left the room, waving to Oshus as a half-hearted farewell. He passed Leaf in the hall, barely acknowledging the young man. He hadn't even reached the kitchen when the doorbell rang. He sighed and left the mug of tea on a table and sauntered over to the front door. When he opened it, seeing who had rung, and sighed. "Speak of the devil."

Zelda smiled weakly at him, straightening her warm coat. "Hey. You said you needed a potion? I promise I'll be quick." She stepped forward slowly, showing Bellum her bag. "I don't need anything in return."

Bellum shook his head. "I'd appreciate it if you just gave me the potion." He leaned on the doorframe, holding out a hand.

Zelda nodded, and took out the potion, a thick yellow liquid in a small glass bottle. "What do you need it for? And what happened to your eye?! Goddesses, that looks awful."

"Personal reasons," Bellum muttered. "I'll repay you if you want, but I need the potion."

He frowned until she gave him the potion and nodded gratefully. He was about to thank her when Link ran up from behind him, tugging on his jacket. "Hey, uh, mister Bellum, Linebeck told me to tell you..." He trailed off when he saw Zelda. "Sorry for... interrupting you... sorry... but Linebeck... he wants you upstairs..." Link glanced around nervously and backed away.

Bellum stared after him, not even truly mad, simply astounded and unsure of what to do. He looked back at Zelda. "Er, I can explain."

Zelda sighed with a strangely amused smile on her face. Without waiting for Bellum to let her in, she stepped into the hallway, passing Bellum. "I really would love an explanation."


	33. Chapter 33

Bellum begrudgingly led Zelda to the kitchen, pocketing the small potion. "Let's be quick, I've got to give this potion to someone." He was aware that Link was following them from a safe distance, peering around the doorframe. No point in shooing him away, though. He'd just come right back. "Want a drink? This story includes a fair number of broken laws."

Zelda sat down at the table, frowning slightly. "Yeah, sure, I'll take the drink. You got rum? I've had a bad few days. We can start once I've got the drink." She shrugged her coat off, wearing her normal work clothing as per usual. "What's up with those kids that were handcuffed to your fence, and that one boy unconscious in the snow? I went with that group. Pair that together with your missing eye, and that Link kid, and it sounds like Linebeck is around as well."

Bellum poured Zelda her drink and handed her the glass. "Where should I start? How about you. What are your assumptions?" He sat down across from her after putting away the alcohol.

With a faint smirk, Zelda asked, "You're not going to have a drink?"

"I'd rather not."

"Fine. Well, I've been investigating the theory that you and Linebeck are somehow related. There's just too much strange evidence and behavior between the two of you." She took a sip of her drink. "That's the gist of it for me. Now you. What's up with you having this kid that's been tagging along with Linebeck in your house?"

Bellum tapped his fingers almost rhythmically on the table. "Well, I'll start twelve years ago. I was looking for the next target in terms of pick-ups, and the next assignment was a pair of people who died from the sickness. There was also a bit of a rumor that these two had a child, so I was prepared to pick up three rather than two corpses." He leaned back in his chair. "Turns out while his parents were dead, the kid had survived. He was just in his crib, sleeping and unaware of his dead parents. 'Course, we weren't used to such young survivors, so I called a group to pick up the parents while I took the kid. I was curious about how he survived, so I took him home with me, hiding him as he returned home.

"I spent the first few days getting used to him, learning his name, and learning very quickly that he wasn't immune to sickness. It wasn't long before I was rope into raising him and ended up completely taking care of him like my own son. It was difficult to keep him secret at first, but once he got old enough, I was able to help him understand that he needed to stay out of sight, and I was careful when he went outside, but I raised him as best as I could."

Zelda took another sip of her drink, wincing slightly as it went down. "How'd he end up on the streets? Was it like with my sister, or..?"

Frantically shaking his head, Bellum stammered, "No, no, no, it wasn't like that! He... left of his own accord. He learned more about my job, and that I kill people during it. He didn't understand how it was for my job and on accident, and he left home. Of course, that was why my work quality dipped for a few weeks four years ago, and he came back home a few days ago. The library people are here, too. Unimportant. But they paid me a visit after that, since Link wanted to see how Linebeck was doing, and they spent the day here yesterday.

"Last night, though, your shitty little sister and her gang of... pirates paid of a visit and attacked us, and I went out to deal with them, hence the kids handcuffed to the fence. However, they managed to ruin my eye, and Linebeck came out after me to help. He ended up getting stabbed by your sister, who managed to get a nasty poison to coat her knife, and that was the end of it all. Tetra and the rest of her group escaped, and I rushed Linebeck back in here, and we're currently treating him for his wounds and the poison. My eye clearly had to be removed, but we need the potion to cure the poison. Thanks for bringing it." He crossed his arms on the table. "I just hope that you don't stay for too long."

"I'm... sorry," Zelda softly said. "I didn't... know. I guess that's what that picture was, then... right? Sorry about my sister." She tapped the side of her glass, looking uncomfortable. "Is... there anything I can do to help while I'm here?" She glanced around the room, only just now noticing the broken window. "What happened there?"

"Your sister threw a rock through the window. Leaf's been fixing it; he's done a good job so far." Bellum stood up, holding up the potion and looking it over. "If you'll excuse me, I've got a sick kid to take care of." He pocketed the bottle again, glancing at Link as he passed. "What did Linebeck want?"

Link shrugged, jogging after Bellum, peering back at Zelda every few moments. "He, uh, he vomited, and he just wants you there cuz he feels like s- cuz he feels bad. He said it the other way." He matched his jogging pace with Bellum's strides, tugging on his jacket. "Will he be better after taking the potion?"

"I hope he will," Bellum murmured. "It should get rid of the poison, but I bet it'll require a bit more vomiting. He'll live, but it won't be a pleasant few days. He's still got to recover from the stab, too." He trudged up the stairs without another word, Link trailing behind. The door to the bedroom was wide open, and Linebeck halfheartedly waved at Bellum when he came into view.

"Took you long enough," Linebeck croaked, sitting up. "This stuff smells like death. What were you two doing?"

"Zelda paid us a visit," Bellum said as he walked into the room. Link ran over to the bed while Bellum showed off the potion. "This should help cure the poison. I'll need you to drink it, but I'll clean up the vomit first." He tossed the potion at Linebeck, who caught it and glared at it. Bellum picked up the bucket, doing his best not to look at the contents, and left the room for the nearest bathroom.

Done with disposing of the vomit, Bellum hurried back to the bedroom, where Linebeck loudly snapped, "This shit looks like mucus," the moment he reentered the room. He shook the bottle and let the thick liquid slosh around inside, adopting an exaggerated disgusted expression.

Bellum set the bucket back down on the floor, grinning. "If you think it looks so nasty, then stop messing with it. I've had these before, they taste better than they look. Besides, if you keep commenting on how gross it looks, you'll just make yourself feel sick." He took the potion from Linebeck, pulling the cork out. "It's not that much, anyways. You'll need to drink it in a bit. I recommend just getting it over with."

With a scowl, Linebeck took it back. He eyed it wary, then asked, "Wait, Zelda's here?"

"Yeah, she's the one who gave me the potion."

Linebeck lowered the potion slightly. His hands were shaking a little, now that Bellum looked closer. "Does she know that Link and I are here?"

Bellum nodded. Link clambered up onto the foot of the bed, watching them. "Yeah, she saw Link, so I had to explain everything. She's pretty ok with it all, surprisingly. I think she's still just in the kitchen. It's fine, you don't need to worry." He rubbed Linebeck's shoulder, and murmured, "Just drink it, alright? It'll only get worse the longer you wait."

Linebeck glared up at Bellum for a moment but downed the potion in a quick gulp. He gagged a moment after setting the bottle on the bedside table. "Wonderful, it tasted like shit." He rubbed his throat and leaned against Bellum, glaring up at him. "Liar."

Bellum raised his eyebrow and shrugged. "It could've tasted worse. Go back to trying to get some rest, ok? Sleep will help the potion work faster." He smiled in response to Linebeck's unhappy grunt and shifted to the side. "I'll leave again, if you want. I need to sort out things with Zelda, anyways." He started to get up, but Linebeck grabbed his arm.

Linebeck looked nervous for a moment, before blurting out "Come back later. I don't wanna be alone. I'll give you about half an hour." Bellum could feel the feverish heat coming off of him in waves and decided that that was a good idea. He nodded, gently pushing Linebeck off. Linebeck sat back, pulling his coat back onto his thin shoulders. "Please."

Bellum nodded, sliding off the bed. They both turned to Link as the kid protested, "Why can't I stay with you, Linebeck?"

Linebeck smiled guiltily. "I don't want you getting sick, too. Dad doesn't get sick very easily, since he's a demon. You still can sleep on the floor, don't worry. I just need to feel better." He laid down, pulling the blanket over his legs. He shooed Bellum away, as if he hadn't asked Bellum to come back and stay with him.

Zelda waved at Bellum when he passed the kitchen. The Warden paused, noting her empty glass. "You, uh, want more rum?"

"No thanks, I'll restrain myself. If you mind, I'd like it if you showed me to where those from the library are. I haven't spoken to them much." She got up, leaving the glass where it was. "...I could commission someone to create an eyepatch for you if you need it. Since you're so preoccupied with taking care of Linebeck, I assume you don't have that much time for other things." Zelda glanced down the hall for a moment, uncomfortable with how Bellum regarded her own expression.

"I don't need your help," Bellum muttered. "I can do that myself. I'll introduce you to the rest of my uninvited guests, and you can leave." He strode down the hall with her following, hoping to run into one of the siblings so that he wouldn't have to search around the house. He didn't need to look like a fool in his own house. Thankfully, Oshus was still in the living room, talking with Ciela. Bellum cleared his throat when he entered the room. They both looked up at him, then over at Zelda.

"What's she doing here?" Ciela asked, the first to speak.

"She delivered the potion," Bellum muttered. "I was just thinking I'd show her that you guys are here, and then that'll be it." He paused, then added, "Linebeck took the potion, he should start to do better one the poison is out of his system."

Oshus nodded, then asked, "Once the poison is out of his system? What does that entail?"

Bellum winced and smiled weakly. "Vomiting, obviously, but he'll be fine." He then rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around. "Where, uh, are Leaf and Neri?"

"Library," Ciela responded. She pointed in the direction of the room as if Bellum hadn't lived there for the majority of his life.

Bellum glared at her and nodded. "Right. If you guys need anything, I'll probably be in my room." He glanced at Zelda in an almost wary matter and turned on his heel to go to his library.

Zelda glanced at a few of the paintings on the walls and asked, "Where did you get all of these? I assume these are paintings of the land outside the city." She paused to look closer at one, the caught back up with Bellum.

"They're just landscapes," Bellum mumbled. "Nothing special about them." He peered into the library, seeing Leaf and Neri sitting in front of the fireplace. "Hey," he shouted, getting their attention. The two of them glanced over their shoulders at them and stared at Zelda. Bellum pointed to her. "She's here. I don't really have anything so say about that." He shrugged, leaning against the doorway.

Leaf was silent, and Neri waved half-hearted at Zelda. Zelda waved back with a weak smile. "She brought the potion?" Neri asked, turning to better look at Bellum. He nodded as a response, and she nodded awkwardly. They stared at each other for a moment longer, and Bellum sighed, turning away.

"That was awkward..." Bellum growled. "I hate this. Can you please just leave soon?" He glared at Zelda, who raised her eyebrows. "No offense. I just want to focus more on making sure Linebeck recovers, and it's weird having my boss wander around my house like this.

Zelda scoffed. "I highly doubt that you actually consider me to be your boss."

"That's not the point." Bellum paused at the stairway up to the second floor. "Anyways, just leave before midnight." He waved her away and jogged up the stairs. The lack of a second pair of footsteps let him relax. The door to Linebeck's room was only slightly open, and he could hear Link and Linebeck talking again. He peered in, seeing Linebeck laying back against his pillow, Link sitting at the end of the bed again. They had their respective plushies and were talking about the two of them. From the sound and look of it, they were happy with each other.

He closed the door behind them, smiled faintly at them as he looked up. "How are you feeling, Linebeck?"

Linebeck rubbed at his eyes, shrugging. He glanced over at Link for a moment before responding. "Better, I guess. Still sick, but the constant pain is going away. Sorta. I'm feeling a little tired, too, so that's good. I might go to sleep in a bit..." He yawned as if on cue and shifted the way he was sitting. "You're gonna stay, right?"

"Sure," Bellum mumbled.

They watched each other for a bit. Link blurted out, "Why can't I stay with him again? He's not sick anymore, right?" He sat up, hugging Rainbakku tightly to his chest. "I mean, he drank the potion. He's not sick anymore."

Link turned to look at Linebeck hopefully, but the older boy only shook his head. "I'm still sick, it's just that the poison is going away." Linebeck rubbed the back of his neck, scooting over a bit as Bellum sat on the edge of the bed. "How, uh, is the poison supposed to get out?"

"Vomit," was Bellum's blunt answer.

Linebeck balked, and let out a small, humorless laugh. "A-alright, then." He glanced over at Link with a ghost of a smile. "Another reason why I'd recommend you stay on the floor. Sorry," Linebeck murmured.

Thankfully, Link didn't seem too unhappy, he simply slid off the bed, glancing at the two left on the bed. "I gonna go back to sleep," He announced. Now speaking to Linebeck, he added, "I hope you feel better." Linebeck smiled in response, nodding. Link smiled back and laid down on his side.

Linebeck watched Link for a moment, then turned back to Bellum. "Is Zelda gone? I heard you guys talking downstairs." He looked past Bellum and at the door, as if expecting to see her. "I mean, why does she gotta stay?"

Bellum shrugged. "I hope she leaves. I'm going to have to see what the library staff are going to do for the next few days. As much as I'd hate to admit it, I might need their help while you and I are recovering." Linebeck's bemused expression told him to keep explaining. "Of course, I need to keep an eye on you, but I've still got these cuts and stuff to heal. They were bandaged up with my eye, and they're a bit painful as well. They can leave, if they want."

On the floor, Link announced, "I'd like it if they stayed."

"...I think that'd be cool, too," Linebeck softly said. Bellum looked down at him with clear surprise. He started to say something, but Linebeck interrupted him. "Don't think I like having them around, it's just nice that someone cares. I dunno." He crossed his arms and turned onto his side, facing Bellum. "I'm tired."

"You're always so stubborn," Bellum murmured. "I'm glad that that hasn't changed."

"You're stubborn, too. And willing to hurt people. That hasn't changed either."

Bellum winced. "Well, that's more or less part of the job description. And, as a demon, I am more inclined to be violent. Intimidation is important, sometimes." He watched Linebeck's blank expression, slightly worried about what he was thinking. "Anyways, you need to get some sleep. I'll stay with you, just in case you need anything."

"Sure." Linebeck hugged Copernicus to his chest, and for a moment, Bellum wondered if he'd seen Linebeck do that when he was younger, or if he was mimicking Link without properly knowing it. Linebeck rolled onto his other side, and Bellum sighed to himself, hoping he was quiet about it.

From what he'd seen and heard, throwing Link out once Linebeck was doing better would cause way too many problems. Both boys were too attached to each other to be left apart from each other. They already considered each other to be brothers, so that made things a bit easier. The biggest obstacle would be Bellum and Link seeing each other as family- Linebeck seemed to be the only reason they were putting in the effort to tolerate each other.

After a few minutes, Bellum got up and shut the room's door and closing the curtains. He couldn't sleep with all the light, but was well aware that the two kids had pretty much trained themselves to sleep in whatever uncomfortable situations they ended up in. As he got back into bed, he thought about what they'd probably been through. He'd managed to talk with Linebeck a bit the morning before, and he told him about their excursion on the train. There were rumors among the phantoms about a pair of orphans who jumped from one train to another as a way of escaping those tailing them, but he'd dismissed it as nothing but a rumor started out of imagination. He certainly didn't expect his son to have much to do with it.

He already knew about the two of them hiding away in a crate, but Bellum wasn't quite aware of how long they were there or what they were doing, and the details interested him more than he'd like to have admitted. From what Linebeck had told him about what he'd gotten into with Link, it seemed like the two had been all around the city. He wasn't quite sure if he should be proud that they did all of that stuff and made it out, or disappointed that they got into so much trouble.

Link seemed to have already fallen asleep, and Linebeck had either dozed off as well, or was very convincingly faking it. And, as Bellum knew well enough, Linebeck was almost concerningly good at faking sleep. He sometimes worried about how much sleep he was getting if he was faking it every time Bellum would go and check on him. Now curious, Bellum reached over and gently shook Linebeck's shoulder, and thankfully didn't get any response- no grunting, no twitching, no flinching away. He was asleep, and Bellum decided that he should follow his example. He might as well get some rest before he was inevitably woken for one reason or another.


	34. Chapter 34

Bellum was woken up in the middle of the day along with Linebeck. He was almost confused as to why he'd woken up before glancing over and seeing Linebeck puking into the bucket. He leaned over to him, gently pulling Linebeck's hair back while he retched. Link had woken up as well but had apparently left the room. While Linebeck threw up whatever meager amount of food he'd recently had, Bellum rubbed his back with one hand, making sure the boy's hair stayed out of his face.

Once Linebeck was done, setting the bucket down, he turned and curled up against Bellum without a word or sound. "Do you feel any better?" Bellum quietly asked, wrapping his arms around Linebeck in a hug. "That should've gotten some of the poison out." Linebeck mumbled an incoherent phrase, shifting closer to Bellum. He still felt warm from the fever, but with the matter of the poison being taken care of, he'd be fine.

"...I feel like shit, but I guess the poison is leaving now." Linebeck reached up and wiped at his mouth, muttering, "I feel nasty. Vomiting sucks."

Bellum frowned and moved his hand up to run his fingers through Linebeck's hair. "I know, it sucks. Well, do you plan on falling back asleep?"

Linebeck shrugged. "I don't want to wake up like that again. I'm hungry."

"I can go make you some food if you'd like."

"Please," Linebeck mumbled, weakly pushing Bellum away, both knowing well enough that he didn't mean it.

Bellum quietly got out of bed, leaving Linebeck alone in his room again while he left. Might as well make him something breakfast related. It was the middle of the day, but it felt like the morning. If he still had the ingredients, he could try and make waffles. It'd be a good idea to look for Link, though, and figure out what his guests were doing. Hopefully he still had some blueberries left, too. He hadn't properly checked what kind of food he had in a while. For all he knew, he just had some frozen meat and bread.

A quick patrol around the second floor let him know that Zelda had not, in fact, left, and was reading in the guest room. Downstairs, the library triplets were sleeping on the couches, and Oshus was reading in front of the fireplace. Bellum doubted he'd seen the old man sleep very often. Even during his apprenticeship, Bellum seemed to have a hard time sneaking around a night since Oshus would be awake and catch him. It pissed him off and was probably the first rung on the ladder of Bellum hating him.

Bellum lingered in the doorway of the library and quickly left. He didn't need one of them turning around or waking up and trying to start a conversation. He trudged over to the kitchen, where he found Link kneeling on top of the counters, digging through the cupboards. Bellum ran over, shouting, "Hey! Hey, get the hell off of there! You can't just be digging through my goddamn things like that!" He grabbed Link around the waist, lowering him off the counter and onto the floor. "Seriously, do you know what privacy means?!"

Link flinched away, averting his gaze. "S-sorry... I was hungry but didn't want to bother you..." He shrank away more, and softly added, "I mean, out on the streets, Linebeck and I would sometimes do that to find food."

Bellum only stared at him, amazed at his logic. "Seriously? I hope you realize that that was technically a crime, and just because Linebeck was doing it, doesn't mean you should too. To be fair, it makes a little more sense on the streets, and most kids resort to stealing, but you've got a home now! You can't be doing that since you're new here. At least ask, for Hylia's sake..."

To Bellum's dismay, Link seemed to ignore the parts about his methods being wrong. "...What do you mean I've got a home now? Am I gonna stay with you? I want to. I wanna stay wherever Linebeck stays, I don't want to be separated from him, 'cuz we're brothers-"

"I get it, the two of you are brothers, no need to repeat it every time you talk about him." Bellum sighed and rubbed his temples for a moment. "Yeah, I'm considering taking you in, since Linebeck wants you to live with him here. I'm not entirely sold on it quite yet, but enough about that. You heard the part about not digging through random cabinets?"

The look Link gave him was blank at first, then recognition sparked in them. "Oh, yeah. I remember. What are you doing down here? Sorry for going through your stuff." He peered around a bit more, and then clambered up onto one of the table chairs. "I wanna get something to eat."

"Well, I was gonna make some food for Linebeck. You can help if you want..." Bellum strode over to the cabinet, opening the doors to get a look at what he had. Thankfully, he had everything he'd need from there. He glanced over at Link. "There should be some blueberries in the ice box. Get those out." He pointed to the icebox in the corner, and the child hopped over without a word. Bellum set the ingredients on the counter, taking out the eggs from the icebox after Link got the fruit. Now he just needed to remember where the waffle iron was.

Link opened up the little blueberry container, peering at the small fruits. "What else do you need?"

"A large bowl and a wooden spoon." Bellum glanced around and pointed the cupboard closest to the fixed window. "Check in there." He quickly found the waffle iron in a lower cupboard and placed it on the counter, flicking it on so that it started to heat up. It simply required a bit of magic every so often to keep it running, so it was easy to operate. Link placed the newly found bowl and spoon next to it, staring at all of the ingredients.

The boy didn't say a word as Bellum got to work, he simply sat back on his chair and watched him mix together everything, adding a new item every so often before using everything but the blueberries. Link suddenly recognized what he was making. "You're making pancakes?" He hopped off the chair and stood next to Bellum, watching the mixture and cheerily chanting under his breath, "Pan-pan-pancakes, pan-pan-pancakes..."

Bellum eyed him, finding his quiet singing irritating. "They're waffles," he muttered. "Linebeck likes blueberry waffles. I take it you like pancakes?"

"...Yeah. Linebeck showed me a pancake place after we met. It was really good." Link went silent, thoughtfully watching Bellum add in the blueberries. He finally started to softly chant, "Waf-waf-waffles, waf-waf-waffles..." Bellum only sighed and shook his head. This kid was going to be a handful, even if he had a better moral sense than Linebeck.

Once the waffle mixture went into the waffle iron, Bellum lined up three plates, and explained to Link that he'd make one for each of them. It didn't take long for the first waffle to be finished. Bellum poured in the next waffle and placed the cooling waffle on a plate. "That one's mind," he told Link, noticing the kid eyeing it. "You get the next one, and Linebeck gets the last one, so his will still be warm."

"Ok."

The second waffle quickly followed the first, and Link eagerly started tearing into his before giving it much of a chance to cool. Bellum left his own food alone, and carefully turned the iron off once the last waffle was done. "How do you like it?" he asked, half absent-mindedly, placing the last waffle on the third plate.

"It's good," Link said, making sure not to talk with his mouth closed. "The blueberries make it even better! I like it better than those pancakes we had at that shop."

Bellum smiled to himself. "That's good. Took me a while to get it this good, though. Turns out demons aren't very good cooks, but we can learn." He set the bowl and spoon in the sink, continuing to talk. "Oshus helped me out a lot while I was his apprentice, too. That definitely helped."

Suddenly curious, Link asked, "Oshus was Warden before you, right? Was he, uh, aggressive, too?" It was difficult for the boy to imagine the gentle old man in the position that Bellum held, and he preferred not to think about it.

To his relief, Bellum shook his head. "No, the temperament of the role varies. With Oshus as Warden, people were less scared of being caught, and there were less patrols. Downsides to that, however, were that there was more crime in general, and if someone were to die, it would take longer for the body to be removed. Nowadays, with me in charge, there's a bit more fear, but things are working more smoothly, and it's easier to smother any sort of crime before it begins. Of course, it's also a bit more aggressive, but we traded kindness for efficiency. Again, the temperament of the Warden and the phantoms depends on who's in the role at the time."

Bellum slid the last plate off the table and left the kitchen with it in hand. Link jumped off his chair and trailed behind him. They were the only ones walking through the hallways, and it felt strangely empty for once. Link glanced around at the walls while he headed up the stairs. He was usually used to having a few other people around and had gotten used to seeing Oshus or Leaf or Neri or Ciela wandering the halls, as well.

Link then glanced over at Bellum. He always seemed more or less uncaring, almost stoic when it came to his own well-being. As far as Link had seen, he really only showed genuine emotion while doing his job, or while caring for Linebeck. Then again, there was the chance that he was also faking his sadistic happiness, but Link had a sinking feeling that he really was taking satisfaction in hurting others. He suddenly felt uncomfortable to be around him.

The two of then reentered Linebeck's room, the sick boy reading silently when they entered. He didn't say anything while Bellum gave him the waffle and settled down next to him and didn't react when Link asked him how he was feeling. He ate in silence, and Bellum sighed. "You didn't answer Link's question."

Linebeck only grunted in response.

Bellum frowned. "That just makes us want the answer more." He nudged Linebeck's shoulder. "Talk. C'mon, it won't kill you. At least thank me for the waffle. I know you love those."

Finally, Linebeck sighed. "My throat's sore, don't wanna talk much. I'm not any better." He leaned against Bellum, peering over at Link. "Sorry for being rude."

"It's fine," Link chirped. "You're not feeling well, so it's ok." He sat on Linebeck's other side, peering at the book he was reading. "What's it about?"

"...Dragons."

"What are those?"

"Big, flying lizards that breath fire. At least, in this book. There are other kinds."

"Are they real? 'Cuz I know that monsters are real and stuff, I've heard that they live outside the city. Are there dragons in the world?"

Bellum interjected before Linebeck could give an answer. "The leading theory is that there are a few dragons, just that they hide away, or make sure that they're not seen." He shifted to the side, giving the two of them a bit more space. "I haven't left the city too often, but some merchants that travel between cities often aspire to see a dragon on their travels."

Link nodded. "Oh, ok."

Linebeck seemed to ponder the answer for a moment, then nodded to himself, satisfied.

"Hey, Linebeck?" Link asked, getting Linebeck's attention once again. "I've got a question."

"What's the question this time?" Linebeck sounded bored, but his words were slightly slurred due mostly to fever.

"Why did Bellum hide you, again? Zelda didn't know you were his son, and you did say that Bellum was hiding you. Why'd he have to do that?"

Linebeck frowned to himself, sitting up straighter. "...I think it was because it's not allowed for the three leaders to adopt someone, since their next of kind will take over their role. Something like that."

Link nodded, then peered at Bellum. "Next of kin takes over the role? Are you related to Oshus, then? 'Cuz he was Warden before you..."

"I was his apprentice at the same time the rule was enacted. About... few decades ago? I don't know. I was Warden before Zelda became leader, and before Ganondorf became judge. That rule came into play because they needed to make sure the ability to use magic was passed down, and they wanted to mimic the idea of royal bloodlines."

Both Link and Linebeck stared at Bellum, slowly realizing the same thing. "Dad? How old are you?"

"Dunno. Demons are borderline immortal; I'd say about around sixty."

Link spoke next. "Then... how old is Oshus?"

Bellum squinted, crossing his arms. "...Dunno. The fact that he doesn't look any different than he did back then doesn't help."

"...He's human, right?" Linebeck asked, raising an eyebrow and setting his plate to the side. "I mean, Hylians don't live that long, right?"

Bellum frowned. "You've... got a good point. But he's never seemed hylian to me. My personal theory is that he's some kind of deity posing as a human. To be fair, that'd explain a lot." He glanced off to the side. "I'm going to see what the others are doing. I might not come back for a bit, to be fair."

He slid off the bed and tousling Linebeck's hair, and pulled the door closed once in the hallway. Bellum lazily glanced to the side, and violently flinched when he spotted Zelda watching him. "The hell do you want?!"

Zelda scoffed, walking over to him. "You don't need to overreact. I've got a proposition."

Bellum pushed off of the door, turning to face Zelda. "...Proposition. What do you mean?"

"Almost like a job offer. I'll help you track down my sister. We may be related, but she attacked you with little to no provocation. Plus, she knows about Linebeck being here. If she puts two and two together, she could rip you apart and have you removed from your position." Zelda raised an eyebrow at Bellum's rapidly paling face. "Seems like it won't be hard to convince you to help me."

Bellum crossed his arms over his chest, clawing at his own shirtsleeves. "I feel blackmailed. I'll help, but how exactly are we going to track her and the rest of her friends up?"

"I know her hideouts," Zelda explained. "We'll have to check each one, so you'll have to leave the house for a bit."

That made Bellum hesitate. Linebeck wouldn't be alone, what with the library staff and Link still in the house, but he didn't want to be separated from Linebeck again. Then again, making sure that Tetra didn't screw him over would make things better overall. "Yeah, sure. When are we going to leave?"

"I'd say in a few hours. We'd need to get ready. We can't get any support from your staff; this should remain a secret so that no one knows why we're doing this. Bring some food rations and warm clothes. This might take a week."

"Right. I'll start to get ready." Bellum nodded stiffly to her, and turned to leave, knowing he could find both a good bag and extra clothes in his room. Zelda could get her own stuff.

He was nearly done packing when Link wandered into his room. The child paused, staring around at the dim room, with a similar color scheme as the rest of the house, but darker. "What are you and Zelda doing?"

Bellum sighed, not putting the least bit of effort into hiding the clear aggravation in his voice. "We're... going to do some work. We'll be gone for a while, so I want you guys to look after Linebeck. Keep me posted on how he's doing." He hoisted the bag up, now regretting packing his armor rather than simply putting it on. "You're not allowed to come with. I know you have a bit of experience with surviving on the streets, but it only gets worse in the wintertime, and it seems like there'll be another snowstorm."

He left the room, careful not to run into Link while passing him. Link jogged behind him, stopping at the stairs. "Why can't I go with you? I can help, and you guys can help me deal with the cold."

Bellum shook his head, making his way downstairs. "Linebeck would feel more comfortable with you around. You deserve to stick with each other." He stopped, setting the bag down on a step and walked back up a few steps. "He'll want you around more than anyone else here, even if he acts like jerk about it." He tousled Link's hair with a faint smile. "We'll be back in a week. Promise. Tell Linebeck and the others for us."

Link nodded almost dutifully. "Sure. Good luck with... doing whatever you're gonna do!" He smiled up at Bellum, who didn't return the expression as he turned away. The Warden carried the bag downstairs, and Link lingered for only a moment longer.

Link turned and passed Zelda on his way back to Linebeck's room, waving halfheartedly at her. "Good luck," he murmured, a slight feeling of dread worming its way into his mind. There was a chance that they might not show back up. He shook his head, getting rid of the thought. They were adults and knew how to handle themselves out on the streets. All Link needed to worry about was keeping Linebeck company for the next few days.


	35. Chapter 35

"I hate snow," Bellum growled under his breath, barely audible beneath the howling of the wind. "It's so damn cold and wet. I'm normally fine with wet but damn the cold. When Ganondorf come back, I'm going to talk to him about setting up more lamps along the streets, too. Dark as shit out here. I hate winter." He kicked up some snow, fixing his scarf around his neck.

Zelda glared over at Bellum. "There's no need for you to bitch about the weather when we're trying to track a rogue group of street urchins. What happened to your rule of 'focus on the task at hand'?" She glanced down the street they were walking along, peering around for some indication of where they were. "Any idea where we are?"

"No goddamn idea. The snow's insane. I hate this. Why did I agree?" Bellum hugged himself, pulling his coat tighter around himself. "Can't imagine Linebeck living out here without a home... makes me feel awful."

"I can't imagine any kid surviving out here," Zelda murmured, "almost impressive, if most of them didn't die."

"Well, aren't we a pair of optimists."

"Shut it, jerkass."

Bellum growled to himself but didn't reply. It was the middle of the day, but it felt like midnight with how dark the snowstorm made it. They were both freezing, shivering, but remained outside to continue tracking Tetra. They'd been walking down the main street for some time now, but Zelda was trying to find the right offshoot street. An idea came too Bellum mind, and he loudly cursed. Zelda flinched, shooting a withering glare at him. "What, what's wrong?"

"I just realized that we could've taken Linebeck's map. He'd made a map of the city out here, and it was impressively accurate. I should've taken it with us." Bellum pulled his scarf over his nose and mouth, peering over at the warmly-lit shops along the street. "What's, uh, the first place again?"

"Somewhere in the park, if I remember correctly. After that, an abandoned storefront on the eastern side, 'round the middle. In the Holodrum district. Last one is a run-down train station. The one that was closed down a few years ago, think it was called the Termina station. Pretty sure it was the only route that led out of the city." Zelda glanced sidelong at Bellum's backpack, and added, "What exactly did you bring? I know there's an extra set of clothes, but anything else?"

"Food, some water, handcuffs-"

"Seriously? You're not even working right now."

"-some money, and some miscellaneous bullshit items."

"Oh, that's fine. I don't have much of anything since I don't live there." Zelda looked herself over, more than grateful that she wasn't wearing a dress. Her tunic was comfortable and easier to move around in, but it didn't help keep her warm. Snow kept melting and soaking into her shoes, freezing her feet, but she soldiered on. Bellum didn't seem bothered, but she could still tell that he was cold.

They ventured into the storm for another hour, and Zelda dragged Bellum into an alleyway halfway down the street. The high walls shielded them from the howling wind and swirling snow. They stared at a kid shivering under a shelter for a moment, then continued on. It was a common sight, perhaps they were surprised that the orphan was alive.

Zelda led Bellum through the alleyways, explaining to him that it was the fastest route to the park. The Warden questioned it silently but didn't contradict her. He didn't have many maps of the city; he mostly just memorized his routes. As leader of the city, it made sense for her to know the layout of the city. "We'll check out the park, and if they're not there, we'll spend the night in an inn and check the next one."

"They can move, y'know."

"They spend a lot of time at their hideouts, and I bet they're trying to lay low. They'll also try to bust their friends out, so your phantoms will catch them as well. We've got them more or less cornered."

Bellum couldn't help but be impressed, and he nearly slammed into a dumpster in his awe. "Damn. That's ruthless. You've been spending too much time with me."

"Perhaps I have. And Tetra's been pissing me off more and more lately, and her attacking you and your son with little reason was the last straw." She stopped at a crossroads and continued down the left path. "I haven't had a chance to talk to her in a while anyways."

"Oh, I can't wait to see what you two talk about."

"You're insane."

"Probably. I'm functional, though. Certainly not a sociopath."

"How is it that you now seem oddly cheerful?" Zelda asked, peering back at him with clear skepticism. "Is it because we're no long in the snow?"

"I guess," Bellum muttered. "And I'm just having a good few days, despite the chance of death and the loss of an eye." He picked up his own pace to walk adjacent to Zelda. "Maybe I'm just giddy rather than actually cheerful. Who knows?"

"The more you talk, the less I want to hear the answer," Zelda mumbled, and she fell into a light jog to put some distance between them. "...By the way, did Linebeck ever know about me before leaving?"

Bellum shrugged. "He saw you a few times when he was younger. He asked me about you a few times, and I told him that you were my boss, no point in lying. If I remember correctly, he assumed you and I were siblings, since he only saw you from the back. He saw the similar hair color and skipped every step to assuming we were siblings."

Zelda chuckled to herself. "Really? Seems like he jumped to conclusions quite a bit."

"He did," Bellum explained. "Stuff like that happened a lot with him. Probably the earliest example is when he was confused about why he didn't have sharp teeth like me. That was understandable, since he'd never seen another person, but it took some time to explain that I was the odd one out, not him." He glanced down an alleyway that they passed, spotting a few empty shelters. "Anyways, you remember that time he broke into that Holodrum house? Well, not really break in, he had a key, but he stole some stuff from them. The family didn't actually realize anything was gone until it was brought to their attention. The one Linebeck stole the key from just assumed that he'd dropped it in a crowd."

"This is relevant how?"

"Well, I just wanted to talk. Well, after that whole thing, we realized that a bunch of kids who were in the area were telling about Linebeck and Link's thievery, and the two of them became like little heroes to some of the kids. This had happened before. Linebeck would sneak into a house and leave with stolen items, and orphans in the area would talk of it. It happens every time there's a burglary, but if it was an urchin who did it, it almost boosted the morale of the other kids. It's interesting to watch, and I find it interesting to piece together snippets of stories. Stuff like that seems to give them hope."

Zelda paused, slowing her pace, not shivering quite as much. "I haven't noticed that. Did Linebeck ever mention those?"

"A few times, but he usually ignored them. He did tell about how, sometimes, before meeting Link, he'd sometimes spend a night in one of those orphan inns and tell stories he'd come up with. I dunno if he ever told stories to Link, though." Bellum jogged up to Zelda's side, and added, "I often told him stories when he was younger, so that's the inspiration."

"...Cool. Anyways, we've got a few more miles to go before all we need to do is move in a straight line."

"Right." Bellum peered around a little more, starting to drag his feet a little, nearly numb from the cold. His boots didn't do much to keep the melted snow from wetting his socks. The greaves he'd clipped back onto them didn't do much to stop that. Zelda probably had it worst, since she was wearing thinner boots, made more for comfort rather than practicality. "I'm impressed that these urchins can survive in this weather."

"Only half of them make it, remember?"

"You think I look at statistics?"

"...Not really. You're irritatating."

"Oh, really? I'm doing it on purpose. I'm really good at pissing people off, I've noticed. Anyways, have you seen that ginger cat around recently?" Bellum glanced around as if expecting to see it following them.

"Yeah, actually," Zelda responded. "She shows up a lot around my house now. Think she likes me. That's beside the point. We just need to focus on getting where we're going."

"Fine. I'll shut up."

"Wonderful."

Bellum scowled, and asked, "You're acting off. Usually you're more timid and polite, but here you are, telling me to shut my goddamn mouth and going all out there. Just curious about this sudden shift."

With a shrug and an irritated scowl to rival Bellum's, Zelda snapped, "Well, I've been holding this shit back. I'm the leader of this damn city, I might as well be likeable and approachable! As for being polite and 'timid' towards you, I was trying to become friends with your clearly undeserving ass! This bullshit about my sister causing mayhem around the city and the general stress of that jackass Ganondorf being out of the city and doing Hylia knows what is getting to me, so bear with me while I let my bad attitude loose for a bit." As added emphasis to her long-winded announcement, Zelda flipped Bellum off, and added, "Up yours."

She didn't say a word as she turned another corner, kicking over a trashcan that she passed, pulling her scarf tighter around her neck and pulling it over her mouth. Bellum stared at the back of her head, now feeling embarrassed, and he wasn't sure if it was because of her insulting him, or because he felt bad. Zelda had bad days at times and would join Bellum at bars or curse in the middle of the sentence, but she never went as far as to aggressively vent. As long as she'd been the leader of the city, she'd held herself with dignity while out in public, and still stood up to the other two leaders no matter how brash they were. Bellum had to admire her resolve, despite everything.

"How close would you say we are?"

"Few miles. I don't want to talk right now. What kind of food did you bring?" Zelda slowed her pace, allowing Bellum to walk alongside her while he pulled up his bag. "I'm fairly hungry, and I doubt we're near many restaurants."

Bellum dug through the bag and slowly listed out what he brought. "...Dried meat of... some kind. Some dried fruit as well. Water canteens. Normal stuff. Nothing fancy. Want anything?"

"I'll take some of the fruit. What kind is it?"

"Either apple slices or dried berries. You choose."

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Berries? What kind?"

"Straw. Strawberries. Do you want them or not?" Bellum held up a small bag of dried sliced strawberries. Zelda took it with a small nod but didn't open it. Instead, she looked it over, and glanced down at every shelter they passed. "Are you going to eat those, or are you just going to hold the bag as some kind of lucky item?"

Zelda didn't respond, trekking through the snow a few feet ahead of Bellum. Eventaully, they passed a shelter with a kid shivering beneath it, and Zelda tossed the bag of strawberries at their feet. The kid flinched, but picked the bag up, staring down at the food. They muttered a quick thanks and started wolfing down the slices. Zelda smiled with satisfaction, but Bellum frowned. He waited until they left the kid behind to say, "Really? Being that generous is gonna get you killed."

"Quiet. We still have more food; they had no food. I'm impressed that you can be so heartless and vicious, while also being such a good father to Linebeck. That kind of duality is nearly unnerving." Zelda crossed her arms, glaring back at Bellum, and shuddered involuntarily at the reddish bandage over his empty eye socket.

"Look who's talking. You're so compassionate with the people of the city, but, with your own sister... it's a mirrored comparison." Bellum grinned ironically, showing off his sharp teeth. "Anyways, I'm violent naturally. Demons always are. Doesn't mean I'm unable to feel common emotions- that was a different situation, anyways." He let the smile drop and slid his hands into his jacket pockets.

"Speaking of demons, what kind of demon even are you? I mean, I don't know much about your kind since most people don't actually believe in their existence, so I'm not sure what kind to start with."

"Oh, right. I'm a Phantom, an ancient and mostly died-out type that specializes in stealing life and killing intruders. There were two kinds, a 'king' type demon, and the... servants they created. Usually sent the created Phantoms to protected places, more often than not to kill anyone who entered, or stole the lives of people. Therefore, there was technically only one Phantom at a time. I'm the next 'king' in that line, as far as I know."

"...You're demon royalty."

"Yep! I have a demonic form aside from this, but I more or less ignore it. My magic utilizes part of it. But, hey, all of my knowledge about that is based off of an old tome in my library." Bellum yawned, and asked, "Now, then, how close are we?"

"Few more miles, still."

"Alright." Bellum rubbed the back of his neck and continued on following Zelda. "For once, I'll listen to you."

"Finally."

Bellum chuckled to himself, and continued to follow Zelda's lead, shivering in the cold, but not shivering as badly as Zelda was. His own resistance to col made him grateful that he wasn't Hylian.

* * *

Link leaned against the window still, peering out at the swirling snow. "It's still, snowing," he announced, squinting out at the lamps along the streets. "It' really dark, even though it's the middle of the day. You should come over here and look!"

Linebeck glanced lethargically over at Link, and rasped, "I need to stay in bed, remember? I'm still sick. It does look really, dark, though. Kinda cool. Interesting how nasty the weather can get, and people still get through it."

"Yeah! That is really cool. Have you ever made it through a snowstorm?"

Linebeck shrugged, sitting up. "I mostly stayed near the library, but one time I got caught on the other side of the city during a snowstorm. Spent most of my time hiding in an old carboard box until it ended, living off whatever food was around it. Pretty shitty few days. You're lucky you weren't out there long enough to deal with a snowstorm. Lots of kids die if they can't find shelter from the cold."

"That's sad," Link muttered, backing away from the window. He walked back over to Linebeck, saying, "Do you think Zelda and your dad can try and do something to help the other orphans? They're the leaders of the city, so can't they do something?"

Shifting onto his side, Linebeck explained, "That would be a big decision, so they'd need Ganondorf here, too." He reached out and took Link's hand, tugging him closer. "But, for now, at least we're safe and with a home. What are the others doing? I haven't seen them much."

Link sat on the side of the bed, playing with his shoelaces. "Uh, Ciela told me that Oshus left a little bit ago to go back to the library with Neri and Leaf. Ciela's staying here to help me with you."

"Why does it have to be her that's gotta stay? She's a bitch."

"No, she's not!" Link protested, glaring at Linebeck. "She's really nice. You two just seem to hate each other a lot."

With a huff, Linebeck laid down, pressing half of his face against the pillow. "She started it," he mumbled. "She was mean to me in the first place, yelling at me for being selfish soon after we first met." He tapped the back of Link's hand, going silent.

Link nodded, and said, "I guess that's... fair. You could try and be nice, though. What should we do for a bit?"

"Can you go and get some cards? There should be some in the library." Linebeck slid his hand away from Link's and pointed to the door. "Can you go get some?"

Link nodded, hopping off the bed and jogging out of the room without a question. Linebeck turned over and watched him leave, shifting slightly. He was still uncomfortable, still a little feverish. He'd vomited a few more times, some of the library staffing cleaning it up for him. The bucket remained beside the bed. Link had been spending his time with Linebeck, the two of them talking to pass the time. Mostly talking about meaningless things, whatever topic came to Link's mind. The kid stayed quiet often, but he could talk for ages.

Link returned quickly and clambered back onto the bed, handing Linebeck the cards. He quietly thanked him, spilling the deck onto his hand. "...Any idea what game you wanna play?"

"...Do you have any ideas?"

"I can teach you how to play... uh... hm. There aren't too many games you can place with two people. Hang on, I'll go get something else. You wait here." Linebeck handed the cards to Link and got out of bed.

He left the room before Link could stop him, so the younger boy looked through the deck while he waited. Linebeck came back more quickly that Link did, carrying in a wooden rectangular board with little pebbles in small bowl-like indentions. "Let's try this," Linebeck said, setting the board between he and Link. "It's called mancala. It's easy to learn..."

It was simple enough teaching Link the rules, and they played a few hours before Link turned down the offer for an extra round. He yawned, pushing the game away. Linebeck had won almost every time. Whenever Link won, he knew it was because Linebeck let him. "Are you tired?" Link asked, placing all of the pebbles onto one side. He yawned again as he closed on side over the other. "I wanna get some sleep."

"Oh, okay. That sounds good right now." Linebeck picked up the board and tossed it onto the bedside table. "You can stay here if you want." He laid down and turned off the lamp, straightening out his coat. Copernicus was sitting on the table, so Linebeck pulled it off and turned to look at Link. "Are you gonna stay?"

"Yeah. I gotta go get Rainbakku, though." Link glanced around the room and picked hit little stuffed animal off the desk across the room. He looked it over and held it over at Linebeck. "He looks cleaner."

"Dad cleaned it off recently," Linebeck explained. "Stupid little thing was almost moldy. Looks a lot better now." He sat up slightly, hugging Copernicus in a way similar to the way Link held Rainbakku. He peered over at the door, checking that it was closed. "Hopefully I don't have to vomit in a little bit. But I doubt I'm done with that."

"Oh," Link murmured. "That sucks. But I'm gonna stay with you anyways. To comfort you, I guess." He got back up on the bed and laid down next to Linebeck. "Hey, will I get my own room when this is all over? I will be living with you guys, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Dunno about your own room, though. The guest room is actually used a fair bit since Dad holds meetings with some of his troops. He usually made sure to tell me about meetings and to stay out of sight as much as I could. You might have to share a room with me, to be fair."

"Oh, that's fine. Not like it'll be any different than how it was on the streets or at the library." Link shifted himself under the blanket, tugging off his beanie. He'd been wearing it all the time, having grown fond of it. "I guess its weirder for you since you're used to being alone or having your own bed to yourself."

Linebeck shook his head with a faint laugh. "Hardly. I did spend about my first year on the streets with my friend, and even before that, I ended up sleeping in Dad's bed because of nightmares or being unable to sleep. So, it's fine." He curled up, hugging Copernicus tightly. "I'm gonna try and sleep. Please be quiet."


	36. Chapter 36

Zelda kicked over the nearest shelter, cursing under her breath. "You're not allowed to do that," Bellum mumbled, inspecting the other side of the small area.

"Sorry, I'm just pissed that they're not here. Well, onto the next spot, I guess." Zelda bent down and started remaking the little shelter. They'd found the small park square near nightfall, and the snow was slowing down. It was clearly a hideout for the group, mainly due to some items strewn about and a general lack of other orphans nearby. "We'll have to check the storefront next. It's not as far, but we'll need to find somewhere to spend the night."

"There's an inn nearby," Bellum mumbled. "South of here, I know that. We can spend the night there." He went silent, quietly watching Zelda set the shelter back up. She fumbled with it at first but managed to properly put it back up. Bellum turned and started to walk off once she finished.

They trekked through the snow, passing leafless trees, having a hard time seeing too far with the snow coming down around them. No animals or other people had been seen since they entered the park. Most people seemed to avoid it when there was a half foot of snow on the ground. Bellum was starting to feel slightly numb from the cold, and he was tempted to start running to both warm up and get to warmth faster. He glanced back at Zelda, the young woman hugging herself and rubbing her arms.

"We can run, y'know," Bellum called back. "Warm up and get out of here faster. Good idea? You willing to run?"

Zelda looked up slightly, no discernible emotion in her eyes. "...Sure. That'd be a good idea." She broke into a jog, Bellum doing the same. It was a slow jog, but faster than stiffly slogging along. At least they'd get where they were going faster.

Soon enough, they left the park behind and managed to find a cheap inn as the moon rose in the night sky. The innkeeper had been clearly wary of Bellum, but Zelda did most of the talking and managed to get the two of them a room for the night, the cheapest they could manage. It was a fairly sized, leaving enough room for Bellum to set his bag on the table before collapsing on his respective bed.

Zelda rubbed her arms once more. "Well, it's a bit warmer in here. The blankets look nice. How are they?" She sat on her own bed, switching on the lamp on the shared bedside table. "Seems nice."

Bellum shrugged, pulling the two blankets over himself. "I honestly don't care. I just want to be warm." He paused. "They are warm. And nice." He pulled them over his head, still shivering from the trek outside. "I'm going to hibernate now, wake me up if I get a letter from my son."

Zelda chuckled to herself, then asked, "How do you think he's doing?"

"Dunno. Probably just resting, talking with Link. I expect that he's fine. If anything had gone wrong, I would've gotten a letter when we checked the post office." Bellum shifted, wrapping the blankets tightly around himself. "Put the lamp out, it's too late for it to be on."

Zelda frowned, but did as the Warden said. "We'll have to get up early to travel to the abandoned storefront. That should be faster to find, I know what street it's on."

"Right. Goodnight." Bellum curled up into a tight fetal position, blankets covering his whole body, but Zelda could see a tiny hole in which he could peer through. It was an amusing sight, but she knew he'd hate if she commented on it. Instead, she made sure to look long enough to etch the sight into her memory.

The moon rose higher and higher outside, shining fiercely into the room, and Zelda finally drew the curtains closed, settling into bed for the night. She expected a sleepless night but slept much more soundly than she expected.

Link woke up before Linebeck, and didn't know what to do. It was later in the morning, seeing as the sun was still low. He sat up a little, continuing to hug Rainbakku tightly. It was almost involuntary to him, to hug the plush to his chest. He now wondered if Linebeck ever felt inclined to do the same thing. He just seemed to hold Copernicus loosely.

Link laid back down, turned and watching Linebeck sleep. He looked calm and peaceful, very different than his usual, high-strung leer on the streets. He shifted every so often, though, and the flush on his cheeks told of his fever. The bandages around his abdomen were still stained, but it was old blood. Hopefully, the cut was healed over.

He watched Linebeck sleep for a bit and jumped when the older boy turned over and groaned quietly. He seemed to be muttering to himself. Perhaps a dream. Link thought back to when he saw Linebeck talking about his dad in his sleep and realized he had been dreaming about being back with Bellum. Now that Link thought about it, there had been a few hints about Linebeck being Bellum's son. He hid it well, though. It seemed that Linebeck was a generally good actor, anyways.

Linebeck mumbled to himself more, tossing and turning. Link moved out of the way, wondering if he was having a nightmare. His muttering and groaning got worse, and Link shook his shoulder, worried. Linebeck tossed onto his other side, writhing. Hands now shaking, Link shook his shoulder again. "Wake up, wake up, c'mon!" Seeing Linebeck having a nightmare called forth memories of him getting hurt.

He tried as best as he could to wake Linebeck up, but the feverish boy remained asleep and trapped in whatever nightmare he was having, continuing to thrash around despite Link's best attempts. It reminded him too much of how he'd dislocated his shoulder, how he'd been writhing and sobbing in agony. Except this time, Bellum wasn't around to fix things and make things better.

Link was aware of his own tears running down his face while he tried to wake Linebeck, but didn't care about them until Ciela rushed into the room. As glad as he was to see her again, he didn't want her to see him crying as well. She hurried over to the bed, staring questioningly at Link, who choked out, "H-he won't w-wake up... I-I th-think he's having a bad n-nightm-mare..." Link sniffed loudly and shook Linebeck's shoulder again, hoping to pull him out of whatever horror his mind was displaying.

Ciela started to help, trying to shake the writhing boy awake, but Linebeck sat up suddenly before she reached him. His chest was heaving, and he was shaking all over, whining quietly and hiccupping as he hugged himself. The shift from frantic sobbing and muttering was jarring to Link, and the younger boy let out a small cry and embraced Linebeck, sobbing into his shoulder. Linebeck hugged him back, twisting slightly to face him, and Ciela backed away from the two of them, now that they had each other to comfort.

Link took in a shuddering breath one his own sobs slowed. "W-what were y-you dreaming about? S-seeing you... thrashing around w-was s-scary!"

Linebeck didn't say anything but buried his face in Link's shoulder. Link shakily patted him on the back, hoping to comfort him. Finally, Linebeck whispered, "I want Dad to come back."

"Me too," Link mumbled. "What... was your dream about?"

Linebeck inhaled shakily and let out a humorless laugh. "Oh, the usual... being lost in the streets, running from something, general traumatic flashbacks, the deaths of you or Dad... this time it was everything. A bullshit hellish melting pot." He backed up, pushing Link away. "What, uh, what time is it?"

Link sniffled, sitting back and peering out the window. "I think it's in the morning." He looked over at Ciela. "What time is it?"

The young woman still looked fairly shaken, but Ciela responded. "It is early in the morning. You guys managed to sleep through a full night. ...Good for you two." She watched them for a moment before peering back at the open door. "I could leave if you guys want."

Linebeck laid down, facing away from Ciela, and thankfully didn't say anything. "It's ok if you want to leave," Link piped up. "I guess we're doing better now." He glanced down at Linebeck, as if expecting him to contradict what he had said.

Ciela nodded and left the room. Link considered calling her back and asking about breakfast but remembered that she didn't live here; she was only there to keep an eye on the two of them while Bellum was gone. They could get food for themselves, anyways.

He glanced down at Linebeck, nudging Copernicus closer to him. "Are you ok? You were still really warm when you woke up. You didn't vomit, though, so that's good!"

Linebeck mumbled a response, curling up slightly. He cleared his throat and spoke again. "Yeah, I guess the poison is gone." He rubbed at his eyes, a little red from crying. "I hate fever dreams," he added angrily. "I get nightmares a lot in general, and they only get worse during fevers. That's the worst part for me. At least most of the time I'd usually end up going into Bellum's room for the rest of the night."

"You did?" Link asked. "Like, you shared his bed for the night?"

"Yeah. I'd go in and tell him I had a nightmare, and he'd let me sleep in his bed for the rest of the night. Happened a lot, but it happened less and less as I got older." Linebeck tousled his own hair, and restlessly kicked away the blanket. "Anyways. Do you get nightmares a lot?"

"I guess," Link mumbled. "I have lots of happy dreams, though. Do you think everyone gets nightmares?"

Seeming a little livelier, Linebeck sat up. "I bet most people do. Most everyone is scared of something. I don't wanna talk about that, though. What was I doing when you guys woke me up? Both of you looked shaken."

"...Uh. You were thrashing around and talking to yourself. I think. You must've been having a really bad nightmare, like you said. It was scary to me. Reminded me of when your shoulder got hurt." Link rubbed at his eyes and yawned. "Did you sleep well? I hope you did."

Linebeck nodded. "I'm rested. Wanna do anything today?"

Zelda shoved Bellum out of his bed. The Warden screeched and cursed when he hit the floor, fighting the blankets off himself. Zelda stood back, waiting for him to get to his feet. "It's almost noon. Get up."

Bellum staggered to his feet, kicking away the blankets at his feet. "Bitch. If it's noon and I overslept, why didn't you wake me up before? Unless you overslept too."

"Shut up. We need to get going. I've already told the innkeeper we're leaving- that's what I did after waking up- so we can get moving once you're ready. The snow's stopped." Zelda pointed out the window. The sky was clear. "I'll wait for you down in the lobby," she murmured, walking past Bellum.

Zelda slammed the door behind her. With a scowl he knew she couldn't see, Bellum glared at the bed she had slept in. All nice and tidy, like she's never been there. Bellum considered leaving the blankets in a heap on the floor but decided that it wasn't worth risking his reputation. Like it was flawless in the first place. The room and his reputation. Bellum picked all of the blankets up and resigned to leaving them on a heap on the mattress.

He slung his bag over his shoulder and rushed out of the room, meeting back up with Zelda. "Let's keep going," he muttered. "Gotta be fast if we want to catch them." Zelda nodded and rushed behind him, quietly thanking the innkeeper on the way out. They returned to the snow-blanketed streets, and Bellum slowed to allow Zelda to lead the way. "How far."

"Few miles," Zelda responded, a yawn following her words. "Anyways, should we get something to eat? We could get going, but I don't think we've eaten in a while..."

"We've got food," Bellum mumbled. "We just need to keep moving. I need to be back home in about six days at the latest." He seemed to be surveying the snow, leering at the feet of people that passed. 'High-strung' was the first word that came to Zelda's mind when regarding his demeanor. She got the idea that he was worried.

"How do you think they're doing?"

Bellum blinked. "...Who?"

"Your son and his friend. You know that they have basically adopted each other as brothers, right?"

"Mhm," Bellum mumbled. "Bet they've woken up. And, yeah, I'm aware that they're brothers. I'm probably going to adopt Link once this whole thing is over. It would be damaging to both of them to send Link away. Besides, I raised Linebeck. Link should be easier." He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing sidelong at Zelda. "What are you going to do if we corner your sister and her friends?"

Zelda shrugged. "You can arrest them. I'll talk to her while she's in jail for the... how long will you make their sentence?"

Bellum gritted his teeth. "'Bout a month. More for that Gonzo kid for screwing up my eye and for Tetra for nearly killing my son."

"That's a reasonable sentence. I'm hoping you treat the orphan prisoners better than the actual prisoners..."

"There's a separate wing for orphans, with nicer cells. They're higher priority, and I assign the more compassionate phantoms to keep an eye on them. Trust me, they're fine. I've seen a few kids deliberately get themselves arrested so they can have food and a place to eat. Bit depressing, but I'm technically helping."

Zelda frowned, heading into an alleyway. "We should really do something about that."

Bellum hesitated, looking up from the snow to Zelda. "What do you mean?"

"The orphan situation. It's awful how it is right now. I haven't been able to do much since we need a majority vote to do something like that but knowing more about your true opinion about it means we can perhaps do something to fix this." She trudged through the snow more quickly, pulling her jacket more tightly around herself. "Should be easier since Ganondorf's off doing whatever. We don't even have to notify him."

"Rebellion, except not, since his job isn't actually important."

"Exactly."


	37. Chapter 37

Bellum sneezed, cursing the cold under his breath. He and Zelda had continued to wander the streets late into the night, and now it was nearing the next morning. He wanted to complain about having so stay awake for so long but realized that that made him weaker than some of the kids out on the streets. Many of them didn't sleep for days on end, either because of desperation to survive, insomnia, or paranoia.

He'd occupied the time walking by considering Zelda's idea. How could they do something to help the orphan population? The main causes of it were kids running away from or being thrown out of home, or their parents dying. Of course, they could try and set up something like an orphanage, but how? There weren't too many empty buildings of the right size, and who would run it? Bellum had no friends aside from Oshus, but he wasn't sure what kind of contacts Zelda had. That still wouldn't halt the root of the problem.

"What food do we have left?" Zelda called back to him. She hadn't asked for water at all. While Bellum utilized the water he'd brought, she had, much to his surprise, causally been scooping up snow and eating it. It worked, he supposed, even if it was unsanitary. Bellum might've even gone as far as to say it was unbecoming of someone of her stature, then remembered that he oftentimes ate food scraps out of the trash while on patrols.

"...Dried meat, and sunflower seeds. Nothing too nice."

"I'll take the sunflower seeds," Zelda murmured, turning around and holding her hand out. She waited for a few moments, walking backwards while Bellum dug through the bag. While she waited, she idly declared, "It's pleasant to talk with you. Why didn't we become friends before?"

"Because I'm a violent and short-tempered demon with a tendency to bottle things up and I relish in the act of hurting others. You're fine with the sunflower seeds being salted, right?"

Zelda felt a bit shaken up by Bellum's abrupt and, unfortunately, brutally honest answer. "I prefer them salted, actually." She caught the bag that Bellum threw at her and pried it open after turning on her heel in time to dodge a fallen trash can. "You ever consider cleaning these alleyways up a bit? Of course, not now, since it's all snowy, but do you ever consider it?"

"Nope," Bellum drawled. "I think that falls more under what you do, anyways. How far are we? We've been walking for ages, and I can't feel my damn legs."

Zelda shrugged, examining as sunflower seed between her fingers. "I thought it'd be better to keep walking into the night. That way, you might get home faster." She tossed the lone seed into her mouth, glancing over her shoulder at Bellum as they walked out onto a street. He now seemed deep in thought, looking through whatever his eye was locked onto.

"That's nice..." Bellum murmured. "Thanks."

"No problem. If you want, if they're not at the storefront, I can send you home while I check out the train station. You've had a rough week." Zelda paused, stopped at the side of the road. Bellum stopped as well. "Just... you've, quite honestly, exceeded your quota this year. You always do, in terms of numbers of arrests. Yet you never take any time off."

"I like my job," Bellum explained.

"Well, you do use your off days, but you still seem to call patrols to take care of any crimes."

"That's my job."

"Not on your off days," Zelda countered. "You didn't even take days off when you had Linebeck with you." She paused. "Except for that time when you took a whole month off, but you still managed things from home. What was your excuse?"

"My excuse was that I was sick," Bellum explained. "That month was the month when I took in Linebeck, so that should answer any lingering questions." He turned and continued walking down the street. "Let's keep going. I'll consider heading home after this one if you give me updates afterwards."

"I'll be sure to do that," Zelda said. "Anyways, twenty years ago, did you ever imagine that you'd end up in this situation? With an adopted son, hunting down a group of rowdy orphans with your boss, who is the older sister of one of said orphans, who almost killed your adopted son, as you consider adopting your son's friend?"

Bellum let out a short laugh. "Damn, when you put it like that, this situation is almost absurd. Well, no, obviously. First off, I didn't think I'd ever be friends with you. I hated you, even. Didn't know you had a sister until recently, but she was born shortly before you became my boss. Didn't think I'd be hunting her down. Certainly, didn't predict having an adopted son. I never thought about becoming a father, especially considering I can't have kids. A month ago, I wouldn't have predicted considering adopting his friend!"

Zelda nodded, then frowned. "Can't have kids? What do you mean? Like... are you-"

"I lack the necessary parts. We're not going into detail."

"Ah. I keep forgetting that demons, more often than not, have different anatomy than Hylians. I apologize for my ignorance."

Bellum nodded. "How much farther?"

"We're pretty close. Why did you think this would take a week?"

"Overestimation or something. It was just the first thing I thought of." Bellum shrugged to himself. "My mouth often works faster than my mind."

"I can tell."

Bellum flashed an angry glance at her but said nothing in retaliation.

They trudged through the snow as they had been for the past day, heading towards the empty shop. Zelda explained to Bellum that it had been a small grocery store, mostly stocking food and general items, so it was large. It had been used as one of their bases for a while and was technically their main base as the old train station was considered dangerous. The abandoned storefront was their best bet.

As Zelda explained its location, Bellum slowly asked, "So... you're saying it's near the center plaza? Like, the Plaza near my mansion? That Plaza? The Plaza around the Holodrum district. I should've realized this earlier."

"You should've," Zelda murmured. "But do you think we'll see that cat again?"

Bellum shook his head. "I doubt it. Most animals out here usually hide during the winter months. Don't expect to see any animals." He stopped walking, peering above the rooves of the buildings next to them. "Do we have to take a specific path? I can see the clocktower from here," he said, pointing up at the mentioned monument. "We can just head towards it."

With a frown, Zelda nodded. "That's a fair point. C'mon, we can cut through some alleyways here to the next road over. Keep up!" Bellum tiled his head to the side, bemused, but jumped slightly as Zelda sprinted into the alleyway.

Bellum took off after her, doing his best to keep his back secure on his back. It was nearly empty aside from remaining food and yesterday's clothes, but it was still added weight. Zelda was wearing lighter clothes and wasn't carrying as much, but Bellum was certainly surprised by her speed. They took sharp turns through the alleyways, passing shelters and surprising the orphans huddled under them, almost running into trash cans a few times.

Was this a way orphans got around? Sprinting through the alleyways, sacrificing energy for speed, either to get somewhere before dark, or to escape. A stupid question, Bellum realized. Of course, they ran through the alleyways, it made sense. A good tactic for survival. Probably. Bellum sighed. No point in speculation; if he was curious about orphan life, he could just ask Linebeck when he got home.

He had a surprisingly hard time keeping up with Zelda. She was fast, and quicker to react to things in her way. Bellum found himself tripping over trivial things. He knew he was normally clumsy- he made a point to hide it- but this was humiliating. Finally, the torture ended; they emerged out into another street, much closer to the clocktower. Zelda was doubled over with her hands on her knees, gasping for breath. Bellum did the same, both getting odd looks from passerby. It was only natural that they'd be stared at. How often did the leaders of the city come stumbling out of an alleyway?

Zelda stretched, waiting for Bellum. "Up to keep going?" she asked. "We're pretty close. You can go home after this."

"Right," Bellum murmured. "That's good motivation. Just give me a second..." He rubbed his eye and leaned against the wall behind him. "Why is your sister such a pain in the ass?"

"Dunno. She's probably pissed about not being allowed back home."

"That's your fault," Bellum snapped, continuing on the path to the storefront. "You did nothing when she left and locked her out. And now she's caused more problems than a mafia from back in the day."

Zelda frowned. "There were mafias before I came into my role?"

"Yeah. They were sons of bitches, way too organized. I managed to get rid of them about two or three decades ago. I was still more or less new to my job at that point. But they were bad. Your sister's group is reminiscent, like Byrne's group and a few other kids out there. The mafias were organized, but the kids out on the streets are doing whatever, no method to their madness." Bellum rubbed the back of his neck a little, then shrugged. "But, hey. The disorganization means a bit more internal strife. That's not important. We can deal with that later."

"Right..." Zelda murmured. They slowed to a walk, knowing they were close enough. It was near midday already, the two of them having run longer than they expected. She waved tentatively at a few people they passed. Only a few of them returned the gesture, others staring at Bellum. It was difficult to tell if they were staring at him because of his reputation, or because he had a bandage over his right eye socket. She wondered how many of them assumed it was a simple injury, or if they assumed it was because the eye was simply gone. Zelda herself didn't know which was one true, all she knew was that he had been stabbed.

She found herself tempted to ask but knew it would be insensitive. Instead, she kept on walking rarely shifting her gaze from the back of Bellum's head. The street they were on had a few shops open, but many were dark when Zelda looked in through the windows. Perhaps since less people wanted to be out and about in the winter months, some places waited until the snow was gone. She never paid much attention to the businesses in the city. Never interested her very much, and they seemed to govern themselves well enough.

Bellum kept Zelda from going off track. She seemed to have gone deep in thought, not paying much attention to her surroundings as they made their way down the street. "Pay attention," he growled. "It'll be easier to deal with them if you're aware of when we get there. Besides, you're better with tactics than me. I live off of impulse."

He shook her by the shoulder for a moment, snapping her back to reality. "Oh, sorry, I was just thinking about the city. I'll pay attention. We've only a mile away." Zelda slid away from Bellum, striding ahead of him. "I'll lead the way for the rest of it."

The abandoned storefront was reached by the time noontime had ended. Zelda and Bellum watched it from afar, acutely away of the dim, flickering light that came from inside. It was similar to a lantern, and Bellum was betting on Tetra's group being the ones staying inside. He planned to arrest her other friends and leave her to her sister. He and Zelda huddled in the shade of an alleyway, snow lazily drifting down from the clouds. It would be stupid for the two of them to burst in through the front door.

"There's a back door," Zelda explained. "If I remember correctly, the shelves are still up, so you can sneak behind them. You should make a signal for when I should come in through the front; Tetra trusts me more than anyone." She paused, then added, "Come up with a signal, please. Just... something I can see."

"I can activate my magic," Bellum murmured. "It glows a little, and I can use it to arrest her two friends."

"You have magic, too?"

"Yeah. What can you do?"

"...I can heal minor wounds, that's all. What about you?"

Bellum waved his hand disdainfully. "Five ghostly tentacles, nothing special, just a bit unnerving. Drains my energy like a bitch, though, hence why I didn't use it during my first confrontation with them. If I lose concentration it drains more of my energy." He started to head out onto the street to the storefront, but Zelda pulled him back.

"Be careful," she hissed. "One of them might be keeping an eye out for us. I'll sneak up after you get going, but you have to take the long way to the back door. See that alleyway over there, off to the side?"

"Yeah."

"It's back there, but you'll have to give the shop a wide berth to make sure you're not seen. Be careful." Zelda pushed Bellum out of the alleyway, and he made sure to run off to the side, not crossing the street until he was across from the alleyway. He'd left the bag in the alleyway Zelda was in so that he could pick it up after they were done.

The alley next to the shop was dark. Bellum passed old shelters but found that none of them were occupied. He stopped at one point to peer into an overturned cardboard box, finding a scrawny cat sleeping inside. Other than that, he was able to remain focused as he snuck along the outside wall. Turning the corner, Bellum found the door quickly, a wooden door with a metal doorknob and hinges. If his luck was awful, it would squeak.

He turned the knob and slowly, slowly pushed the door open. His own fear that the hinges would screech and tell of his arrival kept him from going at a reasonable speed. Bellum slid into the dark shop once the opening was large enough, and shut the door, wincing at the quiet click as it slid closed. The shelves were still upright but empty, and he could see the front of the shop through them along with the counter. The dim glow was coming from the front of the store, behind the counter.

There was quiet talking, sounding due to the lack of any other noise. Three voices, one female and the other two male. Tetra's little group, or what currently remained of it. Bellum slunk to the side, walking close to the shelves. He kept an eye on the light, unable to see the kids quite yet. He shifted his gaze to the scene outside. Zelda was visible in the alleyway, but she was well hidden, the only reason Bellum could see her was because he knew she was there in the first place.

He paused to squint at the shelf in front of him. Covered in dust, and he could've sworn a bug had ran off just a moment before. These kids were going to get sick if they used this as their base. There was a good chance they knew that, though, since they stayed away from the shelves. Bellum sighed to himself. He'd seen worse in functional stores.

He dropped down impulsively onto the floor as one of the orphans got to their feet. He wasn't able to see them, but he heard shuffling and talking. They seemed to be talking about surviving the next few days but had now gone quitter. Bellum shuffled across the floor, trying to keep from bumping the shelves. The kid walked along the window, then returned to the counter. Bellum turned the corner to the next shelf, cursing the maze-like setup of the shelves.

Once the kid returned to the counter, Bellum jumped back up to his feet, flinching as his feet made a loud, echoing bang in the dark store. He dropped back down and speedily headed for a pile of boxes nearby, intending to crouch behind them. Two of the kids got up this time. The taller one- Bellum recalled his name being Gonzo- lingered behind. Bellum just barely reached the boxes once the other kid made it over.

He huddled behind one of them without brushing it. His front, back, and left side were hidden, but it was uncomfortably open above him and to his right. If he was seen, he'd be forced to act brashly before getting Zelda's support. Why was he even scared of these scrawny little urchins? He'd killed grown men before, accidentally and on purpose. Right now, he was trying to arrest two skinny little orphans. Even so, fear was what swamped Bellum's man.

Bellum shifted closer to the crates hiding him, hoping the shade would help keep him unseen as well. The kid snuck uncomfortably close to the crates, then Tetra called him back, telling him that it was nothing. That she'd just seen a rat, and that was what caused the noise. The kid nodded and returned quickly. Bellum relaxed, and crawled out from behind the crates, he was at the last row of shelves- Zelda greatly exaggerated the size of the store.

The other kid, Gonzo, was checking around the last shelf, not seeing Bellum. Taking advantage of this, Bellum quickly hurried over to the end of the shelf and peered around. Niko and Tetra were sitting by the counter with a lantern, looking through a few bags. They both had their backs to Gonzo. Bellum crouched down again and focused on activating his magic. He planned on having Zelda come in and distract her sister while Bellum did his part.

A faint purple glow appeared on the ground beneath Bellum, and he glanced sidelong to see what Zelda was doing. She was striding quickly across the street now. With a nod mostly to himself, Bellum picked up as much speed as he could in three strides, and wrapped his arms around Gonzo, a hand covering his mouth. His tentacles grabbed the kid's arms, forcing them at his sides. Gonzo shrugged, but Bellum kept his hand over his mouth and dragged him back, over to more crates, intending to keep him silent until Zelda showed up.

Thankfully, Zelda burst into the shop within moments. Tetra and Niko let out surprised shouts, jumping to their own feet. Gonzo managed to bite into Bellum's hand, drawing blood and forcing the Warden to yelp. In turn, Gonzo let out a yelp of his own, the hot blood burning his lips. He wriggled out of Bellum's grasp before he could do anything to stop him, and ran to the back, shouting back for the others, "Come on, we need to get out through the back!"

Niko ran first, taking a bag with him. Bellum didn't react as he passed, cursing the pain in his arm. He felt like he'd been bitten by a dog, not a Hylian. Tetra lingered however, her and Zelda staring each other down. Something unspoken passed between them, and Tetra sprinted off without Zelda making a single move. Gonzo forced open the back door, snapping Bellum out of his pained lethargy. He dashed after Niko, stumbling over small crates that he could've sworn hadn't been there before.

While Bellum tried to hunt down the boys, Zelda ran after her sister once she reached the shelves. She grabbed her sister's arm, tugging her close. "You've got a lot of explaining to do," she hissed.

"Not to you!" Tetra shouted. Bellum grabbed for Niko but missed as the kid ducked to the side. Gonzo held the door open, and Niko dashed out. Gonzo sprinted out after him, slamming the door before Bellum reached them. He let out a feral roar and pounded on the door with his fists, already deep in a blind fury.

Zelda and Tetra struggled for a moment. Zelda tried to say something else, but Tetra pulled out a knife of her own and stabbed Zelda in the wrist. Zelda let out a scream and let go of her sister's arm, cradling her own wound. Tetra turned and sprinted away, picking up the lantern as she dashed for the store entrance. She escaped before Zelda could do anything. The whole fiasco had ended in under two minutes.

Zelda stared at the blood pooling on her wrist and turned her attention to Bellum's frustrated cursing and growling. He sounded like a vicious wolf cursed with the ability to speak. She staggered through the shelves, healing her own cut. The gentle green light from her hands bathed the wound and sealed it up, erasing the possibility of a scar. Bellum was still screaming like a madman when she reached him and let out a scream that was jarring shift from fury to shock when Zelda tapped him on the shoulder. "You... didn't trying the doorknob?"

Bellum's pale face went red, and rather than turning the doorknob, he kicked the door off of its hinges, letting out a stream of some of the worst curse words Zelda had ever had the misfortune of hearing. Once he was done, Zelda softly added, "You can go home, I'll continue tomorrow."

"Did you get to talk to your sister?" Bellum seemed unaware of the tears in Zelda's eyes. "I'll assume you didn't; she's nowhere to be seen."

Zelda nodded solemnly.

"Of course. Well, good luck. I'm going home. I need to take this next week off while I adjust to having a second son." He turned to leave, but Zelda stopped him, pulling him into a tight hug. Bellum stared down at her, and Zelda glanced up a him, resting her chin on his shoulder. "This is unexpected."

Taking in a deep inhale, Zelda responded, "Well, so was our friendship. Just... hug me back. I'm doing this because I owe you, not because I think you're cool."

"Fine." Bellum stiffly hugged her back, the two of them silent in a dark store. Cold wind blew in through the empty doorframe behind them.

Zelda backed off, and Bellum nodded. "Right. I'll be off, now. How far is the train station?"

Zelda scowled; her own anguish forgotten. "I don't need your-"

"I just want to get an idea of how far you'll have to go."

"Oh. I'd say a little over fifteen miles, actually."

"Damn. Well, there's a functional train station near here with a stop around there. Good luck. I'll send you a letter once I get home." Bellum nodded to Zelda again, and turned on his heel to leave through the alleyway.

"You're feeling better? Really?" Link stared at Linebeck for a moment, then frowned. "You don't look better."

Linebeck scoffed. "I doubt I'd look better. I've been living on the streets for the past few years. But, yeah. My fever's gone. Trust me." He glanced over at Ciela. "You can leave."

Link clambered up onto Linebeck's bed. Linebeck was sitting on top of his blankets, Copernicus and Rainbakku both set on top of the pillows behind him. Ciela scowled. "Of course, that's what you've been waiting for. Fine, I'll leave. I'll be sure to tell Grandpa that you and Link are doing just fine."

"I'll miss you," Link whined. "I don't want you to go, but I guess we don't need you around. I'll visit the library a lot to see you!"

Ciela smiled faintly. "I appreciate it. Just try and keep your sourpuss older brother away from me." She shot a quick glance at Linebeck. The kid stuck his tongue out at her. "Well, I'll be going, now. Hope Bellum comes back soon, not a good idea to leave you two unsupervised." She turned, intending to leave, but Link hopped off the bed and hugged her from behind.

Linebeck sighed and fell onto his back on the bed. Link hugged Ciela tightly and wordlessly and let her go after a few moments. Neither of them said anything, and Ciela left the room to return to the library.

Link turned back to Linebeck. "Why don't you like her?"

"Because I hate her. She's annoying and I hate her- I'm getting a nasty case of deja-vu. Anyways, I think Dad'll let you stay with us."

"Oh, really? Awesome!" Link exclaimed, rejoining Linebeck on the bed. "Yay! We can actually be brothers! Like, as in actually being family!"

Linebeck laughed quietly. "Yeah. Exactly. And we'll have a home, too, but that's not as important, clearly. I'm tired, though. It's getting late." He yawned. "I'm going to try and sleep. I think my insomnia was suppressed or something during the fever. I doubt it's actually gone."

"Oh. That sucks," Link muttered. Then he announced, "I'll stay up with you so you don't get lonely!"

"That's stupid."

"No! It's not!"

"It's very stupid. Just go to sleep."


	38. Chapter 38

Ten loud bell tolls outside the window woke Link up. He groaned and pulled the blankets over his head. The lack of clouds outside let the sun shine directly into his eyes. Link nuzzled into the pillow, tugging Rainkbakku closer to his chest. He lay under the blanket for a few moments and realized something was off. He wriggled around under the blanket and noticed the lack of heat next to him- Linebeck had left the bed at some point.

Link shot up, sitting straight up and staring around the room, sighing quietly once he spotted his adopted brother at his desk. "Good morning!" he chirped, waiting for a response moments later. Linebeck didn't say anything back. He was sitting hunched over something on his desk. Link rubbed at his tired eyes and yawned. He left Rainbakku next to Copernicus and slid out of bed. "What are you doing?"

After a long period of silence, Linebeck said, "...Drawing," He continued to scribble away on whatever he was drawing.

Link watched him, then glanced out the window. "The clouds are gone again. It's clear. I don't think it'll snow again today." He hopped out of bed, shuffling over to Linebeck. "What are you drawing a picture of?" He peered over Linebeck's shoulder, but the older kid quickly flipped it over, hiding it. Link pouted. "Hey, let me see it!"

"No," Linebeck muttered. "It's not done. I'll show it to you once it's done. Go get some breakfast or something." He waved Link away, hiding his drawing.

"But I wanna see it."

"Too bad, be patient. I'll show it to you once it's done. Go check out the guest room or something, that's probably where you're gonna sleep. If not, get yourself some breakfast, like I said. Wouldn't hurt to. I've already eaten." Linebeck sat up a little straighter.

Linebeck was still wearing his ragged street pants and coat; his two shirts having been put somewhere else along with his scarf. Link had seen his messenger bag tucked away on a chair in the corner of the room. Link himself hadn't changed out of his sweatpants and green shirt, and even still clung to the beanie most of the time. Link reached over and tried to flip the page over, but Linebeck slapped his hand away. "Don't be a jerk," Link snapped. "Let me see!"

"No! Not until it's done, ok? I promise to show it to you once I'm finished. Promise." Linebeck gently pushed Link away. "Please just wait. It'll be better if you wait, 'cuz you won't have any idea what it is. If you peek now, it'll be less cool because you'll know what it's going to end up like."

Link pouted, crossing his arms. "How long will it take you?"

"Dunno, but I'm almost done." Linebeck fiddled with his grip on his pencil, facing away from Link. "I'll show it to you when it's done, trust me." He leaned back and patted Link on the top of the head. "I can give you something to do if you get bored, too."

"Fine. Give me something to do." Link had his arms crossed but looked a little less frustrated. "What kinda stuff can I do around here?"

"I can make a scavenger hunt for you," Linebeck said. "Give me a second to make a list..." he pulled aside a new piece of paper. Link hovered behind him while he scribbled down a number of words, then shoved the paper into Link's hands. "There. Go find these."

Link sighed and turned to leave. "Please be done when I'm done."

"Sure." Linebeck waved Link away. Link didn't shut the door, and Linebeck didn't say anything about it despite his irritation. That should give him an hour to finish his art.

Link hopped down the stairs, deciding to start in the library. He could find a pencil to cross out things and use an encyclopedia to figure out any words he didn't know. Linebeck had shown him where the more important books were a few day ago. Link read through the ten-item list, finding that he needed to find two books, a board game, two decks of cards, a certain cup, a certain photo, a small statuette, and two blue candles. At the bottom of the paper, Linebeck had hastily scribbled to return all found items to him.

Link started with the books, as he was in the library. It felt like a huge room, when it was really only perhaps a third of the size of the city library. Less, really. There must've been thousands of books inside, the flickering fireplace illuminating the many spines. Lots of books looked worn and old, while some looked pristine and untouched.

Linebeck had told him to look for the book that they had taken from the library, and a book about the history of the city. Link was confused about the former until realizing that he meant that Bellum had his own copy of the book. Nodding to himself, Link set the paper away and started searching around the room. Knowing the names of the books, he hoped it wouldn't take long to find them. It ended up taking almost ten minutes while he scanned the spines of the books, pulling up a chair to look at the top shelves.

He piled the books on the coffee table and left them where they were while he continued the search. The board game was the 'mancala' game that they'd played a few nights ago, and Linebeck hadn't specified the kind of cards. He wasn't sure what Linebeck did with mancala, but he had an idea where the decks of cards were. One hadn't been removed from the bedside table, another he recalled spotting in the kitchen. He took the one from the kitchen. It was possible that he could take the last deck while depositing the rest of the items, so he moved onto the board game.

It wasn't hard to find the boardgame, having been left outside Linebeck's room. Link's first guess for the cup was that it was in the kitchen. He dug through the cupboards, getting up on the counter and being careful not to drop anything. There were no specifications as how the cup would look, but Link knew that it wasn't one of the many plains glassed that were lined up so neatly in the cabinets. Bellum didn't look it, but he was organized.

It turned out that the cup he needed was, at first glance, like the others, but had painted-on scribbles, meaningless shapes. Link stared at it, wondering how the pain stayed on after being washed, and then worried that it had never been cleaned in the first place. Either way, he set it up with the deck of cards and the books and set off to find the photo. The hint written under the item was 'Piano'.

Link frowned at the paper. Piano? Did Bellum have a piano? Linebeck had told Link to avoid three different rooms at one point, one of them being Bellum's room. The other was a storage room on the first floor and a hall bathroom upstairs, but he doubted the bathroom would be where to look. Bellum's bedroom was unlikely as well, so Link left the library and jogged around the corner to the unseen storage room.

Pushing the door open, Link sneezed from the small dust cloud that greeted him. Hadn't someone gone into this room recently? Or was it the other storage room? Link waved away the dust and turned on the first lamp he passed. The room was surprisingly bare, with a few covered paintings and empty bookshelves. It was creepy. The only light in the room was from the lone lamp, the only lamp in the room.

Strangely enough, though, a piano was situated in the middle of the room, like a fully sized grand piano as Link had heard it described. It made him wonder how it even got into the room. If it was taken apart, maybe. Link neared it slowly, and carefully lifted the cover over the keys. He pressed down on one of the keys, the quiet note echoing for a few moments. His finger left a hole in the layer of dust. Putting the cover back down, Link picked up the photo on where sheet music was usually left.

It wasn't dusty, so it had been left there recently. Perhaps Linebeck had set this up before Link woke up and had planned the scavenger hunt hours ago. Link placed the photo under the lamplight, peering down at it. It was an old photo, another of Bellum and Linebeck. It had clearly been taken years ago, since Linebeck looked to be around Link's age in the picture. Bellum was on the piano bench, Linebeck on his lap while it looked like he was teaching him how to play the piano. Link tilted his head at the picture, picking it back up. Linebeck probably knew how to play the piano, then. It looked like the picture was taken in a different room, too, but it was the same piano.

Stuffing the photo in his pocket, Link left the dusty room, turning the lamp off on his way out. He found the blue candles when passing by the living room and added them to the pile on the coffee table. According to Linebeck's list, the statuette was of the goddess Hylia, and Linebeck had written that it could be found somewhere in the library. Leaving the paper on the coffee table, Link peered around the dim room. There were a few other reading tables in the room, a few that Link hadn't actually paid much attention to.

A few of them actually had small figures set up on them. Linebeck had probably scattered them around the room to prolong Link's search. Doing his best not to break anything, Link collected up each statue and lined them up in front of the fireplace. He laid down in front of them, deciding that it'd be easier to check them if they were all lined up. Sure enough, he was able to spot the little goddess statuette rather quickly and added it to his pile. That was it for the little scavenger hunt.

Link balanced most of the items on top of the two books and shoved the list in his pocket. The hard part would be getting everything up the stairs without breaking it. It was a slow process but ended up successful. He pushed open the door to Linebeck's room and left the items in a heap on the floor and added the second deck of cards from the bedside table. "Done," he announced. "Can I see the drawing now?"

Linebeck inspected the pile from where he sat and shrugged. "That took you a bit longer that I expected. I was able to add a bit of extra detail. You can come look. And, uh, bring the photo. I took it from this frame over here." He leaned back in his chair, pointing to an empty picture frame.

Link took the photo with him and set it on the desk in front of Linebeck. He was quietly thanked while Linebeck turned the photo frame over, popping out the back and replacing it once the picture was in place. "Thanks. You can keep all of the stuff you found in here. It's all mine." He set the photo frame back up and regarded it for a moment.

"I didn't know you knew how to play the piano," Link said. "You look pretty happy in that picture. So does Bellum."

"Yeah. He started teaching me because he decided that I'd stop bothering him about it if he taught me how to play. I ended up practicing a lot when I was alone in the house. I doubt I remember how to play. Anyways," Linebeck let out a quick sigh and flipped over the drawing. "I got up and decided the draw the view out the window. What do you think?"

The view out the window was a small view of the courtyard, then the street across from it, a few shops and buildings along it. In Linebeck's drawing, he managed to more or less copy how it looked, managing to add a few people walking down the street and the clouds in the sky. It was extremely accurate, and Link couldn't help but take the picture and hold it up near the window. "Whoa. That's really cool! You're really good at drawing. How long did this take you?"

"...Two hours? I guess? I dunno. Thanks for doing the hunt, though," Linebeck murmured, getting up and walking over to Link. "It is pretty accurate. Can you give it back?" Link nodded and handed the paper back. Linebeck patted Link on the head again, then asked, "Can you meet me back by the piano? I wanna see what I remember."

The storage room, still dim, still creeped Link out. It was odd that the piano was the only thing in the room aside from the empty shelves and few tables. Link waited on the bench. He had the cover pushed up and was testing out the sound of each note. With the lack of sheet, music, Link wasn't sure what Linebeck would end up playing. Finally, Linebeck entered the room with a single sheet of paper in his hands.

Link scooted over, giving Linebeck space to sit down next to him. The older kid set the sheet music up on the stand, and Link squinted at it. "That's short."

"Yeah, it's only about eight measures. It's an easy little piece. I just need to remember the notes..." Linebeck played a few notes, speaking under his breath. He reached over and hit the farthest note, getting a high, short note, and then it the one opposite, getting a much lower and fuller sound. He played each note a few times each. Linkwas getting impatient until Linebeck nodded to himself. "Ok, I think I remember. It's a good thing that this piece doesn't need the pedals. Give me a second to read this really quick."

He scanned the music a few times, hissed, "Sight reading," under his breath, and slowly began to play the piece. It was simple, slow and fairly repetitive, but a nice little piece for easy practice and memorization. Link went quiet while he listened, watching Linebeck press each note fairly hesitantly. Linebeck almost missed a few notes a few times but was careful to fix it before playing it. Once done, he sighed and leaned back a little. "Well, I remember what the notes are, for one."

"That sounded good," Bellum murmured, gently shutting the door behind him. Link and Linebeck both turned to face him, and Linebeck scrambled to his feet and hugged Bellum around the waist. Bellum tousled Linebecks hair. "Hey. Looks like you're doing better. I haven't heard you play piano in so long! Of course, you haven't had the chance, but it's really nice."

"I had Link do a little scavenger hunt and I had him find the picture of you teaching me how to play, so I decided to try again." Linebeck backed up a little, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Anyways, did you hunt the bitch down?"

Bellum smiled weakly. "If I wasn't an awful person, I'd scold you for calling Tetra that. Anyways, they got away, but Zelda's going to keep going after her sister and her friends. She sent me home after. Anyways, how were things while I was gone?"

Link shrugged behind them. "Kinda boring. Linebeck's scavenger hunt was fun. I'm going to stay with you guys, right?"

Bellum regarded Link for a moment, then glanced down at Linebeck. Linebeck was staring up at Bellum, eyes both emotionless and writhing with emotion. "Yeah, of course you're going to stay! We should set up the guest room for you..."

"I wanna share a room with Linebeck," Link interjected.

"...Fine. It'll take some time to set up..." Bellum sighed and turned, reopening the door. "C'mon, let's get this over with. You're helping. Both of you."

Linebeck nodded to himself, frowning. Link jogged after Bellum, grabbing Linebeck's hand as he passed, dragging him after them. Bellum sighed to himself again, glancing at the two of them. "We'll need to find another mattress, move some stuff around... Goddesses, I've just adopted another child. The fact that I haven't been fired yet is amazing."

* * *

Linebeck shifted in bed, pushing the blankets away. His sweat forced his new clothes to stick to his skin, and the blankets weren't helping. He glanced across the dark room. Link was silent in his own bed. The bedside table between them had the lamp turned off, but some moonlight slipping in between the curtains. It was raining slowly. It hadn't started to snow just yet, and Linebeck hoped it wouldn't end up in a snowstorm like last year.

Link's old beanie was hanging off the edge of his bedframe. Linebeck's coat, cleaned and fixed up, was in a pile on the floor, rather than the laundry bin where Bellum often wanted them to put dirty stuff. Link always did so, but Linebeck often forgot at first. It took him a few months to fully adjust to the idea that he had somewhere to put dirty clothes after four years of tossing things away. Link adjusted much quicker. The two of them held on to the beanie and coat, respectively.

Linebeck turned onto his other side and waited to go back to sleep. He had insomnia; the three of them agreed on that months ago. Bellum had continued to offer that yellow drink to help him sleep, and Linebeck became numb to the taste. Link never had trouble falling asleep, it was the staying asleep that was the problem.

Across the room, Linebeck heard Link whimper and turned back onto his other side. His brother was wriggling uncomfortably under his covers, letting out a few whimpers and softly saying something. Linebeck yawned and slid out a bed. He was probably having a nightmare again. A nightmare had woken him up, too, but he was quieter about it than Link.

He shook Link's shoulder and the kid's eyes shot open. He sat up quickly, panting and shaking. Linebeck patted Link on the head. "Nightmare?" Link didn't anything but leaned against Linebeck. "I'll take that as a yes. I had a nightmare, too."

"...You did?" Link asked.

"Mhm."

"Oh. What was it about?"

Linebeck shrugged, rubbing Link's shoulder. "Nothing, really, just weird stuff. You?"

"The train."

"...The train? Oh, you mean from last year. Right. That sucked."

Link nodded solemnly, and them whispered, "I don't wanna go back to sleep."

"Neither do I."

The two of them silently agreed on what to do now.

Linebeck slowly pushed open the door to Bellum's room, finding their dad hunched over some papers on his desk. "Why are you awake?" Linebeck asked, almost sounding accusatory.

"I could ask you boys the same thing," Bellum murmured, glancing over at them. "Nightmares?"

"Yeah, Link had a nightmare," Linebeck said.

Link pouted and tugged on Linebeck's shirt sleeve. "You had the nightmare first," he muttered.

Bellum regarded his adopted sons for a moment, then sighed, rubbing his temples. "Just give me a second, then you two can sleep in my bed."

"Thanks," Linebeck murmured. Bellum got up and started to fix up his messy bed, and Link trotted over to help. Linebeck walked over too, but stopped, peering at the papers on Bellum's desk. Most of them were warrants for checking out certain warehouses, but a few were documents pertaining to the orphanage idea that Bellum and Zelda had managed to rope Ganondorf into once he returned. The only document that had been finished wasn't even a document- it was a letter to Oshus at the library.

"Hurry up and get over here," Bellum said, shifting to allow room for Link. "I don't have any work tomorrow, so we can sleep in."

Linebeck nodded, letting go of the desk drawer's knob. He wanted to check and see the heirloom knife again, but his desperation for sleep decided otherwise. He nodded and settled into bed with the other two, reaching over and turning off the bedside lamp. Bellum mumbled a thanks and buried his own face in the pillow. The brothers peered over him and smiled sleepily at each other. Outside, the rain came down faster, sounding louder.

It was pouring outside, but the sound of the rain didn't bother either of them. They fell asleep before the storm got too loud. Thunder and lightning appeared around midnight, waking the three of them up at once. They ended up shifting even closer to each other to wait and fall back asleep.

* * *

 **This is the first time I've ever finished a story, fanfiction or otherwise, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.**

 **I hope you enjoyed it, and I appreciate if you took the time to read this whole thing.**

 **It turned out a bit rough around the edges, but that's not important. I'm working on being a better writer, so it was expected.  
**

 **I may come back and smooth out a few wrinkles (Typos and grammar mishaps) at some point, to be fair.**

 **Anyways... That's all for 'Trust in a Maze of Fear'. The End.**


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